u 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


rrni.r>HKi>    r.  Y   Tin: 
AME1UCAX    TRA<'T    SoCTKTV 


FABLES 


FOR    THE     YOUNG     FOLKS. 


BY    MRS.     PROSSER. 


ncrfo  tbc  bcusts,  anir 


t."  —  |ob  rii.  Z. 


BOSTON: 
THE    AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY, 

DEPOSITORIES,  28  CORNIIILL,  BOSTON  ;    AND  13  BIBLE 
HOUSE,  ASTOK  PLACE,  NEW  YORK. 

Cc.  i^7o] 


REPRINTED  FROM  THE  LONDON  RELIGIOUS  TRACT  SOCIETY 


4- 


PEEFACE  BY  THE  AMERICAN  PUBLISHEES. 


MANY  a  profitable  lesson  in  morals  is  best  taught  indi- 
rectly. A  foolish  act  or  speech  will  appear  in  its  real  light 
when  attributed  to  one  of  the  inferior  animals,  and  a  child 
may  receive  the  instruction  when  he  might  be  unmoved 
by  direct  admonition.  Nor  need  it  be  feared  that  the  true 
character  of  the  fable  will  be  mistaken ;  that  what  is  the 
mere  vehicle  of  truth  will  be  literally  received  as  the  truth 
itself. 

"  I  shall  not  ask  J.  J.  Rousseau 
If  birds  confabulate,  or  no  : 
'Tis  clear  that  they  were  always  able 
To  hold  discourse,  at  least  in  fable  ; 
And  e'en  the  child,  that  knows  no  better 
Than  to  interpret  by  the  letter 
A  story  of  a  cock  or  bull, 
Must  have  a  most  uncommon  skull." 

COWPER. 


544977 


CONTENTS. 


PAOK 

EVERY  ONE  IN  HIS  OWN  WAY 7-— 

Two  SIDES  TO  A  TALE ,  .         .         .8 

WHO'D  BE  A  DONKEY? .II4 

LOOK  AT  HOME .         .         .15 

JUMPING  TO  CONCLUSIONS        .         .         . 16 

THE  OAK  AND  THE  IVY t     .         .         .         .19 

THE  CROWING  COCK .        .        .        .        .20 

THE  PANIC;  OR,  WHAT'S  IT  ALL  ABOUT?.         ......      23 

THE  OWL  THAT  THOUGHT  HE  COULD  SIHG         ......      28°** 

THE  COMPLAINT  OF  THE  EAST  WIND         .-       .         .       '.         .         .         .      31 

THE  REFLECTIONS  OF  A  PEACOCK     .         .  ,     .         .         .         .         .         .33 

RUBY  AND  DROVER          .         .         .....         .         .         .         .35 

BUSINESS  FIRST,  AND  PLEASURE  AFTERWARD    , 39 

THE  LEMONS  AND  THE  SODA 42 

THE  BIRD  WHO  LOVED  THE  SUN 43 

CIRCUMSTANCES  ALTER  CASES  .         .         . 44 

THE  MILL-HORSE  AND  THE  RACER  .         .       :.        ,    '     .         .         .         .47 

DROVER  AND  THE  TINKER'S  DOG -49 

MORE  WINTER  BEFORE  SPRING         ........      54 

HEART'S-EASE  ............      57 

OUR  LOTS  ARE  EVEN 60 

SNARLER  AND  DROVER 62 

EFFECT  FOR  CAUSE  ..........         .       &4 

THE  SWALLOWS       .         .         .         .         ...         .        .         .         •         .67 

THE  SNOW  AND  THE  FLOWERS 69 

THE  DONKEY  AND  THE  PACK-HORSE         .        *        .         .         .  -      •         .71 

THE  DUCKLING  AND  THE  WATER-HEN 72 

THE  VICAH'S  PEAS  .         .        .         .         .        ,         .         .         .         .         .75 
THINK  OF  OTHERS   .         .         .  ,        .        .  .         .         .79 

LITTLE  AND  GOOD    .         .         .         .        \ 81 

LOOK  IN  THE  GLASS         .        .        .        .        .•      '..        .        .        .        .82 

THE  SQUIRREL  AND  THE  MASTIFF  .        **      .        .      ••*       .        .      83 

TRUTH  NOT  ALWAYS  PLEASANT         ........      85 

THE  DONKEY  PHILOSOPHER      .........      87 

A  WORD  TO  THE  CURIOUS 90 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

THE  WORLD  CAN  GO  ON  WITHOUT  us 92 

THE  FURNACE  FOR  GOLD          .         .         .         *'        •         ...        •         .93 
TRIFLES,  TRIFLES,  TRIFLES      .         .         .      .  » /     /. 

No  ROOM  FOR  PRIDE .         .        ....         .90 

OLD  DOGS  AND  YOUNG •         •         .         .      97 

DOCTORS  SELDOM  LIKE  THEIR  OWN  PHYSIC        .         ,        .         ...         .100 

LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN 103 

WHERE  THE  FAULT  LIES 105 

A  NEW  LIGHT  ON  THINGS 106 

LIVE  AND  LET  LIVE 107 

GIVE  AND  TAKE 108 

NOT  QUITE  so  BAD  AS  REPORTL i> Ill 

MAKE  THE  BEST  OF  IT '•         .115 

PREACHING  AND  PRACTICING 117 

ABOVE  THE  CLOUD 118 

THE  OWL  THAT  WROTE  A  BOOK 119 

How  DROVER  GOT  A  DINNER 121 

THE  THRUSH  AND  THE  CATERPILLAR 127 

NOT  A  PIN  TO  CHOOSE 129 

KNOW  YOUR  FRIENDS 130 

How  TO  KNOW  A  GOOSE • .         .         •         .131 

THE  THREE  COLORS 132 

SOMETHING  FOR  BOTH  SIDES 133 

"  MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING  " 134 

"  WHAT'S  LAW  FOR  THEE  is  LAW  FOR  31  K  " 136 

THE  BROOK •         •         .138 

AN  AWKWARD  QUESTION  .........     140 

THE  WORTH  OF  OPINION  .         .         .  •  .         •         •         •         •     143 

"  HOME,  SWEET  HOME  1 " •'..-.         .144 

BAD  TILLAGE 147 

NOT  THE  FAULT  OF  THE  TKUMPET 147 

A  LIVING  DOG  BETTER  THAN  A  DEAD  LION 148 

BEWARE  OF  THE  FOWLER V    •    .         .149 

THE  WILLOW-STUMP  AND  THE  FINGER-POST     .         .         .         ;  .152 

THE  WAY  TO  CONQUER    .         .         .         '.'.' 154 

BUTTERCUPS  AND  DAISIES 155 

How  CAN  THE  BLIND  SEE? 156 

WHERE  TO  BEG  AND  PROSPER 158 


fafcfe. 


EVERY  ONE  IN  HIS   OWN  WAY. 

"  WHAT,  no  farther  ! "  said  the  minute-hand  to  the 
hour-hand  of  the  timepiece.  "Why,  I  have  been 
all  round  the  dial  since  we  parted-;  and  there  are 
you,  just  one  figure  from  the  place  where  I  left 
you." 

"  And  yet  I  have  done  as  much  work  in  the  time 
as  you  have,"  answered  the  hour-hand. 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out  ? "  asked  the  other, 
as  he  advanced  to  pass  him. 

"  So"  was  the  reply.  "  Your  journey  all  round, 
and  mine  from  figure  to  figure,  are  each  an  hour's 
value ;  all  are  not  able  to  arrive  at  the  same  conclu- 
sions with  the  same  ease  and  readiness.  But  this  is 
no  fault  on  either  side ;  only  they  who  fancy,  because 
they  are  always  in  a  bustle,  that  they  are  doing  the 


ORIGINAL     FABLES. 


work  of  the  whole  world,  are  mistaken,  and  plume 
themselves  on  an  importance  and  superiority  by  no 
means  belonging  to  them.  If  you  were  to  creep  like 
me,  the  day  would  last  nobody  knows  how  long; 
and  if  I  were  to  gallop  like  you,  it  would  be  over 
before  it  had  well  begun.  Let  us  each  keep  our 
own  'pace,  and  then  the  business  we  are  both  upon 
will  be  well  done  between  us." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  minute-hand  in  the  distance ; 
"  I'm  nearly  out.  of  hearing  now ;  so  keep  any  thing 
more  you  have  to  say  till  I  pass  you  again." 


TWO  SIDES  TO  A  TALE. 

"WHAT'S  the  matter?"  said  Growler  to  the  black 
cat,  as  she  sat  mumping  on  the  step  of  the  kitchen 
door. 

"Matter  enough,"  said  the  cat,  turning  her  head 
another  way.  "  Our  cook  is  very  fond  of  talking  of 
hanging  me.  I  wish  heartily  some  one  would  hang 
her." 


TWO     SIDES    TO     A    TALE. 


"Why,  what  is  the  matter?"  repeated  Growler. 

"  Hasn't  she  beaten  me,  and  called  me  a  thief,  and 
threatened  to  be  the  death  of  me  ?  " 

"Dear,  dear!"  said  Growler;  "pray,  what  has 
brought  it  about?" 

"  Oh,  the  merest  trifle,  —  absolutely  nothing ;  it  is 
her  temper.  All  the  servants  complain  of  it.  I 
wonder  they  haven't  hanged  her  long  ago." 

"Well,  you  see,"  said  Growler,  "cooks  are  awkward 
things  to  hang ;  you  and  I  might  be  managed  much 
more  easily." 

"Not  a  drop  of  milk  have  I  had  this  day,"  said  the 
black  cat ;  "  and  such  a  pain  in  my  side ! " 

"  But  what,"  said  Growler,  — "  what  immediate 
cause  ?  " 

"Haven't  I  told  you?"  said  the  black  cat  pet- 
tishly; "it's  her  temper, — what  I  have  had  to  suffer 
from  it!  Every  thing  she  breaks  she  lays  to  me, 
every  thing  that  is  stolen  she  lays  to  me,  —  such  in- 
justice !  —  it  is  unbearable ! " 

Growler  was  quite  indignant;  but,  being  of  a 
reflective  turn,  after  the  first  gust  of  wrath  had 
I 


10  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

passed,  he  asked,  "  But  was  there  no  particular  cause 
this  morning  ?  " 

"She  chose  to  be  very  angry  because  I  —  I  of- 
fended her,"  said  the  cat. 

"  How  ?  may  I  ask,"  gently  inquired  Growler. 

"  Oh,  nothing  worth  telling,  —  a  mere  mistake  of 
mine." 

Growler  looked  at  her  with  such  a  questioning 
expression,  that  she  was  compelled  to  say,  "I  took 
the  wrong  thing  for  my  breakfast." 

"Oh!"  said  Growler,  much  enlightened. 

« Why,  the  fact  was,"  said  the  black  cat,  "  I  was 
springing  at  a  mouse,  and  I  knocked  down  a  dish; 
and  not  knowing  exactly  what  it  was,  I  smelt  it,  and 
just  tasted  it,  and  it  was  rather  nice,  and  "  — 
.  "  You  finished  it  ?  "  suggested  Growler. 

"Well,  I  should,  I  believe,  if  that  cook  hadn't   j 
come  in.     As  it  was,  I  left  the  head." 

"  The  head  of  what  ?  "  said  Growler. 

"  How  inquisitive  you  are ! "  said  the  black 
cat. 

"  Nay,  but  I  should  like  to  know,"  said  Growler. 


WHO'D    BE    A    DONKEY?  11 

"Well,  then,  of  some  grand  fish  that  was  meant 
for  dinner." 

•  «  Then,"  said  Growler,  "  say  what  you  please ;  but 
now  I've  heard  both  sides  of  the  story,  I  only  won- 
der she  didn't  hang  you." 


WHO'D  BE  A  DONKEY? 

"  WHO'D  be  a  donkey  ?  "  said  a  smart-looking  horse 
that  was  grazing  in  a  meadow,  under  the  hedge  of 
which  a  heavily-laden  donkey  was  picking  up  a 
thistle. 

'•'  Who'd  be  a  donkey  ?  "  said  a  cow  in  the  opposite 
meadow,  looking  at  him  through  the  gate. 

«  Who'd  be  a  donkey?"  said  an  elderly  gentleman, 
dressed  in  black,  walking  in  a  reflecting  manner  up 
the  road,  his  arms  crossed  behind  his  back,  and  his 
stick  under  his  arm. 

"  Friends,"  said  the  donkey,  with  a  very  long  piece 
of  bramble  hanging  from  his  mouth , "  you'll  excuse 
my  speaking  while  I  am  eating,  which  is  not  polite ; 


12  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

but,  in  order  to  set  your  benevolent  hearts  at  rest,  I 
beg  to  assure  you  that  Td  be  a  donkey." 

"  Well,"  said  the  horse,  "  there's  no  accounting  for 
tastes.  I  wouldn't.  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you 
prefer  your  ragged  pasture  out  there  to  my  delicate 
fare  in  here?'7 

u  I  never  tasted  yours,"  said  the  donkey ;  "  mine  is 
very  pleasant." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  friend,"  asked  the  cow, 
"  that  you  prefer  carrying  that  heavy  load  to  living 
at  ease  as  I  do?" 

"  I  never  lived  at  ease ;  I  am  used  to  my  burden," 
said  the  donkey. 

"  I  should  think,  my  poor  fellow,"  said  the  gentle- 
man, "  you  would  be  glad  even  to  change  places  with 
your  master,  vagabond  as  he  is.  You  would  cer- 
tainly escape  beating  and  starvation.  I  see  the 
marks  on  your  poor  head  where  his  blows  have 
been,  and  your  ribs  plainly  tell  what  your  ordinary 
fare  is." 

"Sir,"  said  the  donkey,  "I  am  greatly  obliged  to 
you  for  your  pity,  but  I  assure  you  it  is  misplaced : 


WHO'D    BE     A    DONKEY?  13 

my  master  is  more  of  a  brute  than  I  am,  both  When 
he  gets  intoxicated  and  when  he  beats  me.  I  don't 
like  beating,  especially  about  the  head ;  but  it  is  a 
part  of  my  lot  to  bear  it,  and  when  the  pain  is  past 
I  forget  it.  As  to  starving,  there  are  degrees  in 
starvation;  I  am  many  points  from  the  bottom  of 
the  scale,  as  you  may  see  by  the  delicate  piece  of 
bramble  I  was  finishing  when  you  spoke.  I  believe 
my  master,  who  can  not  dine  on  a  hedge,  more  fre- 
quently suffers  from  hunger  than  I  do." 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  said  the  gentleman,  "  your  phi- 
losophy is  great ;  but  that  burden  must  be  too  much 
for  you ;  it  is  twice  too  heavy  for  your  size." 

"It  is  heavy,  sir;  but  who  is  without  a  burden? 
You,  sir,  for  instance,  —  pardon  me ;  not  for  worlds 
of  thistles  would  I  bring  you  on  a  par  with  a  poor 
donkey,  —  you  are,  as  I  should  judge,  the  clergyman 
of  this  parish  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  gentleman. 

"  And  you  have  a  family  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  six  children." 

"  And  servants,  of  course  ?  " 


14  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"Yes;  three." 

"Dear  me!"  said  the  donkey.  "Sir,  excuse  me 
again ;  but  what  is  my  burden  to  yours  ?  A  parish, 
six  children,  and  three  servants ! " 

"  Oh,  but  my  cares  are  such  that  I  am  constituted 
to  bear  them." 

"  Just  so,  sir,"  said  the  donkey ;  "  and  my  burden 
fits  my  back.  The  truth  is,  sir,  I  believe  —  and  I 
would  recommend  you  (once  more  excuse  me)  to 
put  it  into  your  next  sermon  —  that  half,  and  more 
than  half,  of  our  wants  are  created ;  half,  and  more 
than  half,  of  our  miseries  are  imaginary;  and  half, 
and  more  than  half,  of  our  blessings  are  lost,  for 
want  of  seeing  them.  I  learned  this  from  my 
mother,  who  was  a  very  sensible  donkey,  and  my 
experience  of  life  has  shown  me  its  truth.  With 
neither  of  my  friends  over  the  hedges  would  I 
change  place,  scornful  as  they  look  while  I  say  it. 
As  for  you,  sir,  let  me  tell  you  that  a  thunder-storm, 
which  will  not  touch  my  old  gray  coat,  will  spoil 
your  new  black  one  ;  and  I  advise  you  to  run  for  it, 
while  I  finish  my  dinner." 


LOOK  AT  HOME. 


15 


LOOK  AT  HOME. 

u  NED,  I'm  ashamed  of  you,"  said  Silver,  the  white 
cow.  "  Really,  with  that  clog  on  your  leg,  I  wonder 
you  attempt  to  mix  with  respectable  people." 

"Your  servant,  ma'am,"  answered  the  donkey.  "I 
don't  see  that  I  am  to  be  blamed  for  it,  seeing  that  I 
did  not  put  it  on  myself." 

"No,  no,  you  were  not  likely  to  do  that;  but  if 
you  hadn't  taken  to  opening  the  gates  with  your  nose, 


16  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

and  wandering  off  nobody  knows  where,  so  that  you 
could  never  be  found  when  you  were  wanted,  the 
master  wouldn't  have  fettered  you.  You  needn't 
look  at  me  so  boldly ;  it's  a  disgrace,  and  you  know 
it,  and  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  it." 

"I  ask  your  pardon,  ma'am,"  said  Neddy,  looking 
steadfastly  at  the  nobs  on  the  ends  of  Silver's  horns ; 
"  but  I  was  so  taken  up  with  looking  at  those  things 
which  the  master  put  on  your  horns  the  day  you 
broke  down  the  hedge,  and  tried  to  toss  the  dog, 
that  I  did  not  quite  hear  you.  Please  to  say  it 
again." 

But  Silver  walked  another  way,  and  Neddy  grazed 
without  interruption. 


JUMPING  TO  CONCLUSIONS. 

"  THEY'RE  going  to  hang  Snap,"  said  Frisk,  my 
lady's  Blenheim,  as  she  stood  wagging  her  tail  with 
great  animation  on  the  top  of  the  kitchen-steps,  look- 
ing out  into  the  yard. 


JUMPING     TO     CONCLUSIONS.  17 


"Well,  who'd  have  thought  it!"  said  Growler. 
"  But  I'm  not  surprised  when  I  reflect :  that  was 
what  master  and  the  groom  were  talking  about  yes- 
terday, no  doubt ;  for  they  looked  at  him." 

"  They're  measuring  his  neck  for  a  rope,"  said 
FrJsk,  scampering  off 

"Snap's  going  to  be  hanged,"  said  Growler  to 
Tray. 

"  Indeed  !  Well,  I  thought  he  looked  very  low- 
spirited  all  day  yesterday.  I'm  not  surprised  at  all; 
but  are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  Oh !  I  fancy  he  has  the  rope  round  his  neck 
already." 

"  Only  think  of  Snap ! "  said  Tray  to  Lion,  the  New- 
foundland dog. 

"What  about  him?"  said  Lion,  apparently  more 
inclined  to  think  of  something  else. 

"  Going  to  be  hanged  :  that's  all." 

"  And  enough,  too,"  said  Lion.     "  When  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  doubt  if  he  isn't  hanged  already :  I  fancy 
the  rope  was  about  his  neck  some  time  ago." 

"  Poor  fellow  !  what's  it  for  ? " 


18  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  I  can't  exactly  tell.  The  groom's  been  complain- 
ing of  him  to  the  master,  I  believe,  from  what  Mr. 
Growler  says." 

"  I  thought  he  was  a  great  favorite." 

"  Ah !  but  we've  all  seen  a  great  change  lately." 

«  When  did  you  notice  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  it  was  spoken  of  till  this  morn- 
ing ;  but  any  one  might  have  seen  it  long  ago." 

"  I  never  saw  it," 

At  this  moment,  Snap  ran  into  the  yard  with  a 
new  collar  on. 

"  Hey,  what's  this  ? "  said  Lion,  as  Snap  trotted 
from  one  to  another  to  show  his  finery ;  while  Frisk 
looked  down  from  the  top  of  the  steps,  and  whis- 
pered rather  sheepishly  to  Growler,  "Who'd  have 
thought  they  were  measuring  him  for  a  collar?" 


THE     OAK     AND     THE     IVY.  19 

i 

! 

THE   OAK   AND  THE  IVY. 

"WiLL  you  allow  me,  sir?"  said  the  ivy  to  a 
gnarled  old  oak.  "  I  won't  intrude  without  your  per- 
mission.' 

The  oak  looked  down  at  his  feet,  which  the  ivy 
was  covering,  but  made  no  answer. 

"What  a  ragged  old  fellow  you  are! "  said  the  ivy, 
when  she  had  reached  half  way  up  the  massive 
trunk.  k4 1  have  covered  knots  and  knobs  innumer- 
able in  you  :  you  may  thank  me  for  looking  so  hand- 
some: 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  sell  for  much  ? "  said  the 
ivy,  as  she  grew  up  to  the  topmost  boughs.  "  I  see 
they  have  been  marking  us.  I  presume  we  are  in 
the  same  lot.  You  are  aware  that  you  owe  all  your 
beauty  to  me." 

The  oak  was  felled,  and  the  ivy  lay  withered  and 
trailirig  on  the  ground.  "Alas!"  she  cried,  "how 
could  I  so  forget  myself?  I  knew  I  was  but  ivy 
when  I  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  tree,  but  when  I 
got  to  the  top  I  thought  I  was  an  oak." 


20  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

THE   CROWING  COCK. 

"  How  did  I  crow  then  ?  "  said  a  cock  to  his  favor- 
ite speckled  hen. 

"  Magnificently ! "  said  the  speckled  hen. 

"I'll  get  up  on  the  gate  and  crow  again,  that  all 
the  yard  may  hear.  You  tell  them  to  listen."  And 
up  he  flew  to  the  top  of  the  gate,  and  flapped  his 
wings,  and  stretched  his  neck,  and  crowed  with  all 
his  might;  then,  holding  his  head  on  one  side,  he 
looked  down  with  one  eye  at  the  hens  who  were 
huddled  together  before  the  gate. 

"  Fine ! "  said  the  speckled  hen.  "  Fine ! "  said  the 
white  hen,  and  the  brown  hen,  and  all  the  hens,  and 
as  many  chickens  as  had  not  their  mouths  full  of 
barley. 

"  Do  you  hear  that  brown  thing  yonder  ?  "  said  he, 
as  he  strutted  up  and  down  the  yard,  looking  con-   ] 
temptuously  at  a  thrush  in  a  wicker  cage,  who  was 
trilling  one  of  his  richest  songs.     "  What  do   you 
think  of  the  noise  it  makes?" 

All  the  hens  clucked  with  contempt. 


THE    CROWING    COCK.  21 

"  Friend ! "  said  the  cock  to  him,  "  you  mean  well, 
but  you  haven't  a  note  of  music,  —  you  should  listen 
to  me ; "  and  then  he  crowed  with  all  his  might 
again.  The  hens  all  stood  on  one  leg,  with  their 
eyes  closed,  and  their  heads  on  one  side,  in  mute 
admiration. 

At  this  moment,  Shock,  the  house-dog,  came  out  of 
his  kennel  and  shook  himself,  as  if  disturbed  out  of  a 
sound  sleep. 

"  Did  you  hear  me  crow  ?  "  said  the  elated  cock. 

"  Hear  you !  I  should  like  to  know  who  didn't  ? " 
said  Shock.  "There's  no  peace  for  you,  morning, 
noon,  nor  night;  for  the  only  time  when  you're 
quiet,  I'm  obliged  to  turn  out  to  keep  you  from  the 
fox." 

The  cock  shook  his  gills,  and  looked  very  much 
astonished ;  and  the  hens  whispered  into  one  an- 
other's ear. 

"  Ask  my  hens,"  said  the  cock  indignantly. 

"  Your  hens,  indeed !  "  said  Shock.  "  Why,  they 
know  nothing  but  what  you  tell  them ;  and  if  they 
don't  do  as  you  like,  you,  drive  them  from  the  barley. 


22  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


You're  all  very  well  to  call  up  the  maids  in  the 
morning,  and  to  sing  out  when  thieves  come  near 
the  roost ;  but  if  you  were  not  the  most  consum- 
mate coxcomb,  you  would  never  attempt  to  decry 
a  thrush." 

"  I  have  wakened  him  out  of  his  sleep,"  said  the 
cock,  in  an  explanatory  voice,  to  his  hens;  and  he 
led  the  way  to  the  fold,  where  he  flapped  his  wings 
and  crowed  again,  but  not  with  the  same  vivacity ; 
and,  although  they  were  afraid  of  talking  of  it 
aloud,  the  hens  noticed  one  to  another,  that  he 
never  crowed  much  from  that  day  in  the  presence 
of  Shock. 


THE    PANIC;     OR,    WHAT'S     IT    ALL    ABOUT?      23 

THE  PANIC;   OR,  WHAT'S  IT   ALL   ABOUT? 

""WHAT'S  it  all  about?"  said  one  of  Mrs.  Sell's 
ducks  to  her  friend,  as  they  listened  to  a  splashing 
noise  in  the  little  brook  dam. 

"  I  can  not  think,"  quacked  Ducky ;  "  let's  go  and 
see." 

And  they  sailed  down  the  brook  to  the  place,  and 
found  a  great  piece  of  wood  which  had  fallen  across 
the  bank,  and  the  water  was  splashing  over  it.  The 
rest  of  the  ducks,  seeing  these  two  in  such  a  hurry 
to  get  to  this  spot,  followed,  supposing  some  fresh 
plan  of  operations  for  the  day  was  being  projected, 
or  that  a  new  nest  of  snails  had  been  discovered.  So 
they  waddled  into  the  brook,  and  swam  off  in  the 
same  direction. 

It  was  difficult  for  their  two  companions  to  per- 
suade them  of  the  truth ;  and  they  all  quacked  so 
loud  in  their  inquiries,  that  a  hen,  who  was  taking 
her  ten  little  chickens  for  a  morning  walk,  told  them 
to  remain  very  quiet  under  the  wall,  while  she  went 
to  the  water-side  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  to 


24  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

mind  and  not  touch  the  corn  that  would  be  thrown 
down  for  them,  till  she  returned. 

Whether  her  clucking  and  the  increased  quacking 
were  favored  by  the  wind  I  can't  say ;  but  the  sound 
went  over  the  churchyard  into  Freek  the  shepherd's 
garden,  where  Drover  lay  dozing  in  the  sun.  He 
started  up,  pricked  up  his  ears,  and  bounded  across 
the  churchyard. 

A  cow  that  was  grazing  in  the  lane,  seeing  him 
scamper  at  such  a  rate,  thought  it  wise  to  follow 
him;  so,  having  filled  her  mouth,  she  walked  delib- 
erately round  the  corner  to  the  place  that  Drover 
seemed  to  make  for.  In  his  way  he  saw  the  potter's 
horse  standing  in  the  Bede-House  pasture.  "Hey, 
Drover,"  said  the  horse,  "  what's  the  matter  ?  " 

"Who  knows?"  said  Drover;  "I'm  going  to  see. 
Don't  you  hear  the  noise  ?  " 

So  the  horse  went  up  to  the  hedge  of  the  field, 
and  looked  over  on  to  the  brook ;  but,  being  old  and 
tired,  he  couldn't  make  up  his  mind  to  go  any  nearer. 

"  Have  you  heard  ?  "  said  an  old  crow. 

"What?"  said  the  others. 


THE    PANIC;     OR,    WHAT'S     IT    ALL    ABOUT?      25 

"  Oh,  such  a  noise !  A  fight,  I  should  think.  I 
saw  Drover  running  as  if  to  break  his  neck ;  and  the 
old  cow  and  the  potter's  horse  are  on  the  road,  and  I 
don't  know  who  besides." 

"Oh,  let's  go,  by  all  means,"  said  the  crows.  So 
they  flew  off,  and  took  possession  of  the  willows  that 
hung  over  the  brook. 

"  What  fun ! "  said  a  sparrow ;  "  the  crows  have 
gone  to  see  some  grand  doings  somewhere:  let  us  go 
too ! "  and  away  went  a  whole  flock  of  sparrows,  who 
had  been  busy  a  minute  before  with  the  vicar's  cur- 
rant-bushes. 

"  Very  remarkable !"  said  an  old  jackdaw.  "What 
it  can  be  about,  I  can  not  divine.  I  propose,  my 
brethren,  to  call  a  meeting,  and  consult  upon  meas- 
ures adequate  to  the  occasion."  And  so  all  the  jack- 
daws might  be  seen  coming  out  of  their  holes  in  the 
church-tower,  and  ranging  themselves  solemnly  along 
the  ledge  near  the  top,  on  the  side  facing  the 
brook. 

"Is  it  an  invasion  of  the  French?"  said  one. 
"Is  it  a  company  of  masons  coming  to  repair  the 


26  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

church?"   said  another;  "that  would  vastly  more 
interfere  with  us  and  our  nests." 

No\V,  just  as  Drover  got  to  the  brook,  the  two 
ducks  having  convinced  their  friends  that  there  was 
no  secreft  cause  for  their  movement,  the  whole  party 
were  sailing  calmly  down  the  stream,  and  the  quack- 
ing had  completely  ceased. 

"  What's  it  all  about  ? "  said  Drover  to  the  last  of 
them.  > 

"What?"  said  the  duck. 

"  Why,  the  noise,"  said  Drover. 
'  "  Nothing ! "  said  the  duck. 

"  Nothing ! "  said  the  hen,  going  back  to  her  chick- 
ens. 

"  Nothing ! "  said  Drover,  with  a  mixture  of  con- 
tempt and  vexation  at  having  had  his  run  for  noth- 
ing. 

"  Did  he  say  nothing,  Mr.  Drover  ? "  said  the  old 
cow,  who  immediately  proceeded  to  graze  again. 

"Nothing!"  called  out  the  old  horse  from  over  the 
wall.  "  How  glad  I  am  I  didn't  go  any  farther ! " 

"Nothing,     nothing!"    jabbered     the    sparrows. 


THE    PANIC;     OR,     WHAT'S     IT     ALL    ABOUT?      27 

"  What  fun !  Only  think  of  taking  in  all  these  good 
folks!"  And  off  they  flew  to  the  currant-trees 
again. 

"  Nothing ! "  said  the  crows,  who  flew  over  to  Mrs. 
Sell's  yard  to  pick  up  the  corn  that  was  put  for  the 
chickens. 

"  Nothing !  "  said  the  daws.  "  How  exceedingly 
impertinent  to  make  such  a  fuss  about  nothing!" 

"Very!"  said  Kitty  Keelby's  old  brindled  cat,  who 
had  been  feasting  on  some  of  the  deserted  chickens, 
while  their  mother  was  gone  to  find  out  "  what  the 
noise  was  all  about."  And  so  the  water  went  on 
splashing  over  the  wood ;  but  there  was  an  end  of 
the  wonder. 


28  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


THE  OWL  THAT  THOUGHT  HE  COULD  SING. 

"  WHAT  can  bring  the  people  into  the  grov.es  to 
hear  those  nightingales  sing  ? "  said  an  owlet  to  his 
mother. 

The  old  owl  didn't  know,  and  didn't  care :  she  was 
busy,  watching  a  bat. 

"I'm  sure  I  have  as  fine  a  voice  as  any  nightin- 
gale, and  far  stronger." 

"  Stronger,  certainly,  my  son,"  said  the  owl,  with  a 
blink,  for  the  bat  had  escape<}. 

"  I  shall  go  into  the  grove  to-night,  and  give  them 
a  song,"  said  the  owlet. 

The  owl  opened  her  round  eyes  very  wide,  but 
said  nothing. 

Accordingly,  when  night  came,  and  the  hour  for 
the  sweet  trilling  of  the  singing-birds  drew  near,  he 
flew  heavily  along,  and  placed  himself  in  a  conspicu- 
ous part  of  the  grove,  that  he  might  be  seen  and 
heard  to  proper  advantage. 

Now  the  nightingales  did  not  by  any  means  ad- 


THE    OWL    THAT    THOUGHT    HE    COULD    SING.      29 

mire  the  prospect  either  of  his  company  or  his  co- 
operation in  their  concert;  so  those  who  were  bent 
on  singing  sought  another  grove,  while  those  who 
were  content  to  be  quiet  for  the  night  kept  snugly 
at  roost. 

"Where  can  the  nightingales  be?"  said  the  peo- 
ple who  came  to  hear  them. 

Upon  this,  the  owlet  set  up  a  hoot  so  loud  and  so 
long,  that  it  nearly  frightened  them  into  fits. 

"That  creature  has  terrified  them,  and  scared 
them  all  away,"  said  one.  "I  will  soon  dispatch 
him.  Where's  my  gun?" 

But  the  disconcerted  owlet  took  the  hint,  and 
before  the  gun  came  he  had  got  back  to  his  mother. 

"  Your  feathers  are  ruffled,  my  son,"  said  the  owl. 
"Have  you  been  singing?" 

The  owlet  reluctantly  related  his  disgrace  and  nar- 
row escape. 

"  It  is  just  what  I  expected,  and  I  am  glad  you  are 
safe  back." 

"Then  why  did  you  suffer  me  to  go?"  said  the 
owlet  indignantly. 


30  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Because  I  was  sure  it  was  a  point  on  which  noth- 
ing but  experience  could  convince  you.  I  don't  un- 
derstand music,  and  can  not  tell  why  people  should 
take  the  trouble  to  go  and  hear  nightingales  sing, 
and  at  the  same  time  shoot  owls  for  hooting ;  but  I 
know  it  to  be  a  fact.  There  is  much  difference 
between  our  voices,  which  I  can  myself  discern  every 
time  I  hoot.  Ours  may  be  superior,  for  any  thing  I 
know;  but  as  the  prejudice  of  the  public  mind  is 
strong  on  the  other  side,  I  shouldn't  think  of  disput- 
ing the  point,  and  probably,  now  you  have  ex- 
perienced the  effect  of  your  performance  on  their 
ears,  you  will  be  satisfied,  with  me,  to  leave  them 
alone  in  their  mistake." 


THE    COMPLAINT     OF    THE    EAST    WIND.  31 


THE   COMPLAINT  OF  THE  EAST  WIND. 

"WHY  do  you  shrink  from  me?"  said  the  east 
wind,  angrily,  to  the  flowers. 

The  primrose,  for  answer,  crept  under  its  leaves; 
the  snowdrop,  bending  lower,  laid  her  head  sadly  on 
the  earth ;  the  opening  buds  closed  again ;  and  the 
young  and  tender  green  leaves  curled  up,  looking 
dry  and  withered. 

"  Why  do  you  fly  from  me  ? "  said  the  east  wind, 
reproachfully,  to  the  birds. 

For  answer,  the  chaffinch  fluttered  into  a  ibush; 
the  warblers  kept  close  to  their  half-made  nests ;  the 
robin  hid  under  the  window-sill ;  and  the  sparrows 
huddled  into  their  holes. 

"  Ungrateful ! "  howled  the  east  wind.  "  Do  I  not 
fill  the  sails  of  treasure-ships  that  bring  balmy  spices, 
shining  merchandise,  and  all  the  precious  gifts  of  far- 
off  lands  ?  The  gold  and  the  silver,  the  gems  of 
earth  and  of  ocean,  are  they  not  wafted  by  me  to 
these  shores?  Yet  love  never  greets  me.  I  find  a 


32  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

barren  land  and  a  reproachful  silence  wherever  I 
come." 

"  Ah !  my  stern  brother,"  replied  the  sun,  struggling 
for  a  moment  through  a  leaden  sky,  "  read  aright  the 
reason  of  your  reception.  Who  brings  the  piercing 
blast  and  destructive  blight  ?  —  who  hides  the  azure 
of  the  heavens,  and  dims  the  beauty  of  the  earth  ?  — 
who  tries  to  vail  me  with  impenetrable  gloom,  so 
that  I  can  no  longer  bid  the  world  rejoice?  Is  not 
this  your  work?  Riches  you  may  bring,  but  the 
gifts  of  your  hand  can  not  atone  for  your  harsh  voice 
and  unloving  nature.  Your  presence  inspires  terror, 
whil£>  it  spreads  desolation ;  and  '  where  fear  is,  love 
is  never  seen.' " 


THE    REFLECTIONS    OF    A    PEACOCK.  33 


THE  REFLECTIONS   OF  A  PEACOCK. 

'  "  WHAT  can  the  vicar  be  thinking  of?  "  said  a  pea- 
cock that  paraded  the  churchyard  in  melancholy 
mood.  "  He  certainly  is  a  man  of  bad  taste,  or  he 
would  consider  me  as  the  ornament  of  his  parish." 

Here  he  took  as  good  a  survey  as  he  could  of  his 
tail,  which  he  then  spread  out,  and  strutted  up  and 
down  the  middle  path  before  the  vicarage  windows. 

"  There  isn't  a  figure  in  the  parish  equal  to  mine. 
As  to  dress,  let  them  show  any  of  their  fashions  that 
come  up  to  my  plumes;  and  yet,  as  soon  as  I  go^into 
his  garden,  or  even  into  the  orchard,  he  sendf  the 
boy  to  hunt  me  out ;  nay,  he  raced  after  me  himself, 
whip  in  hand.  Very  undignified  indeed !  He  must 
be  jealous;  that's  it,  perhaps.  He  has  only  a  few 
scanty  white  hairs  for  feathers  on  his  head,  while  I 
have  an  exquisitely  beautiful  coronet.  Poor  man! 
Or  perhaps  he  thinks  his  family  will  get  a  love  of 
dress  by  looking  at  me ;  that  may  be  it.  It  can  not 
be  my  voice  that  offends  him;  for  I  never  let  him 
hear  it,  as  I  know  he  is  not  fond  of  music,  —  except 


34  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

when  I  am  flying  away  from  his  whip.  Why  does 
he  persecute  me  thus  ? "  And,  turning  his  head  in 
every  direction  to  show  his  colors,  and  carrying  his 
tail  with  much  pomp,  the  peacock  stalked  again  up 
and  down  the  middle  path. 

Now  it  happened  that  Drover,  the  shepherd  dog, 
had  heard  him  soliloquizing  as  he  was  lying  on  the 
churchyard  wall ;  and,  just  raising  his  head,  he  said, 
"  Do  you  really  want  to  know  ?  " 

The  peacock  turned,  and,  half  offended  at  being  so 
unceremoniously  questioned,  answered,  "  Yes." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Drover,  "  it's  neither  more  nor 
lesstfchan  because  you  eat  his  gooseberries."  Then 
he  put  his  head  down  and  went  to  sleep  again,  or 
rather  into  a  waking  doze. 

The  peacock  was  much  mortified  by  this  humbling 
solution  to  the  mystery.  In  his  heart  he  was  well 
aware  that  it  was  the  truth ;  but  while  he  knew  it, 
he  wished  to  cover  it  to  the  world  with  reasons  more 
honorable  to  himself.  He  took  care,  when  next  he 
meditated  aloud,  to  go  where  Drover  could  not  hear 
him. 


RUBY    AND    DROVER.  35 


RUBY  AND  DROVER. 

"  WHAT  right  has  a  vulgar  fellow  like  you  to  walk 
by  us  ? "  said  a  handsome  pointer,  named  Ruby,  to 
a  shaggy  shepherd  dog,  named  Drover. 

"  The  same  right  that  you  have  to  walk  by  me," 
answered  Drover.  "I  suppose  the  road  is  broad 
enough  for  us  all." 

"  Yes ;  but  you  ought  to  keep  your  distance,  and 
not  try  to  have  it  believed  you  are  one  of  us." 

"  I  don't  wish  any  one  to  believe  I  am  one  of  you, 
any  more  than  you  wish  to  have  it  thought  you  are 
one  of  us."  » 

"  A  likely  thing  that  I  should  wish  to  be  thought 
one  of  you ! "  said  the  pointer,  with  a  sneer. 

"And  why  not?"  said  Drover.  "I  see  no  such 
mighty  difference  between  us." 

"  Pshaw !  nonsense !  you  are  a  poor  plebeian  cur, 
that  has  to  work  for  his  hard  fare ;  you  are  a  scrub, 
to  look  at;  you  have  no  other  bed  than  a  loft  or 
a  barn." 

"Don't  run  away  with  idle   fancies,  friend,"   said 


36  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

Drover ;  "  I  am  no  poorer  than  you.  I  have,  of  my 
own,  four  good  legs  and  a  tough  hide,  a  stout  voice 
and  a  quick  eye :  I  fancy  you  have  no  more.  Then, 
as  to  work,  I  have  to  guard  the  sheep  from  wolves, 
and  bring  them  safe  home  to  the  night-fold  when 
they  have  wandered,  which  is  as  honorable  employ- 
ment, to  my  mind,  as  running,  with  your  nose  on  the 
ground,  after  a  poor  partridge  that  is  hardly  a  bite 
when  it  is  caught.  My  fare  may  be  hard,  but  it  is 
plentiful.  I  am  not  kept  on  bread  and  milk  at  cer- 
tain seasons,  for  fear  my  scent  should  be  spoiled,  as 
you  are,  but  get  whatever  is  going  from  my  master's 
basket  all  days  alike.  When  he  has  meat  to  give,  he 
always  shares  it  with  me.  Scrub  as  I  am,  I  am  con- 
sidered very  handsome  by  our  people  ;  and  that's  all 
I  care  about.  My  master  would  not  change  me  for 
you,  depend  on  it;  and  as 'to  my  bed,  what  does  a 
bed  signify  to  one  who  can  sleep  anywhere  ?  How- 
ever, I  can  tell  you  I  am  not  chained  in  a  kennel, 
like  you  and  your  friends :  I  am  at  liberty  to  lie  all 
night  on  the  warm  hearth,  where  I  can  hear  if  a 
thief  should  lurk  on  the  outside." 


RUBY    AND    DROVER.  37 

Ruby  couldn't  say  much;  but,  looking  supercili- 
ously at  Drover,  he  answered,  "It's  very  well  that 
you  are  satisfied  with  your  condition :  we  are  not  all 
born  to  the  same  situation  of  life.  I  did  not  mean 
to  hurt  your  feelings,  and  make  you  envious:  no 
doubt  you  are  very  respectable  in  your  way,  and  I 
am  sorry  for  you  that  you  are  in  such  a  condition." 

"  Pray  keep  your  pity  for  those  that  want  it.  Let 
me  now  tell  you  a  few  things.  You  have  left  out  the 
two  great  blessings  of  my  life  in  which  you  have  no 
share.  In  the  first  place,  I  am  free.  I  know  my 
work,  and  can  do  it :  at  all  other  times  I  can  go  in 
or  out,  run  or  rest,  enjoy  the  common  or  the  wood, 
sleep  under  the  hedge,  or  play  by  the  brook-side  with 
my  friends.  You  go  out  to  your  work  with  a  keeper, 
or  with  the  Squire, — mighty  fine  company,  of  course, 
and  very  genteel;  but  when  your  work  is  done,  your 
pastime  is  over;  you  are  kept  up  till  you  are 
wanted  again, —  no  liberty  for  you.  You  go,  when 
you  go,  for  your  master's  pleasure,  and  never  for  any 
thing  else.  Then,  again,  you  have  many  companions 
who  are  all  as  valuable  as  yourself,  and  your  master 


38  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


hardly  knows  you  by  sight.  All  his  dogs  together  are 
nothing  to  him  but  dogs.  He  would  sell  you  all  to- 
morrow, if  he  heard  of  a  better  breed,  or  better 
trained  set.  My  master  is  my  friend ;  he  loves  me ; 
I  am  his  companion ;  he  talks  to  me,  whistles  to  me, 
and  trusts  me  as  if  I  were  one  like  himself.  I  don't 
believe  he  would  think  of  selling  me  any  more  than 
his  wife  or  children.  And  I  love  him ;  I  love  to  hear 
his  step  above-head  in  the  morning ;  I  love  to  hear 
him  cry, '  Now,  old  boy  \ '  when  he  goes  to  work ;  I 
love  to  watch  by  his  coat  and  basket  when  he  leaves 
them  to  my  charge ;  I  love  to  work  for  him ;  I  love 
to  watch  for  him,  and  I  wouldn't  leave  him  for  all 
the  sops  to  eat,  and  kennels  to  lie  in,  and  gentlemen 
to  hunt  or  sport  with,  in  the  wide  world.  Hark !  I 
hear  his  voice.  Good-morning ;  I  can't  stay  to  hear 
what  you  have  to  say."  And  off  he  was,  with  a 
bound,  his  eyes  glistening  with  delight,  and  his 
shaggy  tail  tossing  in  the  air. 


=TI 

BUSINESS    FIRST,    AND    PLEASURE    AFTER.        39     ! 


BUSINESS   FIRST,   AND   PLEASURE   AFTER. 

"  PUT  the  young  horse  in  plough,"  said  the  farmer ; 
and  very  much  pleased  he  was  to  be  in  a  team  with 
Dobbin  and  the  gray  mare.  It  was  a  long  field,  and 
gayly  he  walked  across  it,  his  nose  upon  Dobbin's 
haunches,  having  hard  work  to  keep  at  so  slow  a 
pace. 

"Where  are  we  going  now?"  he  said,  when  he 
got  to  the  top.  "  This  is  very  pleasant." 

"  Back  again,"  said  Dobbin. 

"  What  for  ? "  said  the  young  horse,  rather  sur- 
prised; but  Dobbin  had  gone  to  sleep,  for  he  could 
plough  as  well  asleep  as  awake. 

"  What  are  we  going  back  for  ?  "  he  asked,  turning 
round  to  the  old  gray  mare. 

"  Keep  on,"  said  the  gray  mare, "  or  we  shall  never 
get  to  the  bottom,  and  you'll  have  the  whip  at  your 
heels." 

"  Very  odd  indeed,"  said  the  young  horse,  who 
thought  he  had  had  enough  of  it,  and  was  not  sorry 
he  was  coming  to  the  bottom  of  the  field.  Great 


40  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 


was  his  astonishment  when  Dobbin,  just  opening  his 
eyes,  again  turned,  and  proceeded  at  the  same  pace 
up  the  field  again. 

"  How  long  is  this  going  on  ? "  asked  the  young 
horse. 

Dobbin  just  glanced  across  the  field  as  his  eyes 
closed,  and  fell  asleep  again,  as  he  began  to  calculate 
how  long  it  would  take  to  plow  it. 

"  How  long  will  this  go  on  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to 
the  gray  mare. 

"  Keep  up,  I  tell  you,"  she  said,  "  or  you'll  have 
me  on  your  heels." 

When  the  top  came,  and  another  turn,  and  the 
bottom,  and  another  turn,  the  poor  young  horse  was 
in  despair ;  he  grew  quite  dizzy,  and  was  glad,  like 
Dobbin,  to  shut  his  eyes,  that  he  might  get  rid  of  the 
sight  of  the  same  ground  so  continually. 

"Well,"  he  said  when  the  gears  were  taken  off,  "if 
this  is  your  plowing,  I  hope  I  shall  have  no  more 
of  it."  But  his  hopes  were  vain  ;  for  many  days  he 
plowed,  till  he  got,  not  reconciled  to  it,  but  tired  of 
complaining  of  the  weary,  monotonous  work. 


BUSINESS    FIRST,    AND    PLEASURE    AFTER.        41 

In  the  hard  winter,  when  comfortably  housed  in 
the  warm  stable,  he  cried  out  to  Dobbin,  as  he  was 
eating  some  delicious  oats,  "  I  say,  Dobbin,  this  is 
better  than  plowing :  do  you  remember  that  field  ?  I 
hope  I  shall  never  have  any  thing  to  do  with  that 
business  again.  What  in  the  world  could  be  the  use 
of  walking  up  a  field  just  for  the  sake  of  walking 
down  again?  It's  enough  to  make  one  laugh  to 
think  of  it." 

"  How  do  you  like  your  oats  ? "  said  Dobbin. 

"  Delicious ! "  said  the  young  horse. 

"Then  please  to  remember,  if  there  were  no 
plowing,  there  would  be  no  oats." 


42  ORIGINAL  FABLES. 


THE  LEMONS  AND  THE  SODA. 

"  I  COULD  soon  finish  you  up,"  said  some  lemons  to 
a  bottle  of  carbonate  of  soda. 

"  I  could  soon  take  the  taste  out  of  you"  answered 
the  soda. 

"  Let  us  try  our  strength,"  said  the  lemons. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  soda ;  and  to  work 
they  went,  trying  with  all  their  might  to  extinguish 
each  other;  fizz  —  went  the  lemons;  fizz  —  went 
the  soda;  and  they  went  on  fizzing,  till  there  was 
nothing  of  either  of  them  left,  and  only  a  nauseous 
puddle  showed  where  the  fight  had  been. 


THE    BIRD     WHO     LOVED     THE     SUN. 


43 


THE  BIRD  WHO  LOVED  THE  SUN. 

"MOTHER/'  said  a  young  blackbird,  looking  out  of 

his  hole  in  the  wall  one  cold  winter's  day,  "  what  has 

become  of  all  the  flowers  ? " 

"  They  are  withered  and  dead,  my  son." 

"And  what  has  become  of  all  the  fruits,  mother?" 

"  They  are  gathered  and  gone,  my  son." 

"  And  the  beautiful  flies,  mother,  with  the  colored 

wings,  where  are  they?" 

"  Perished,  all  perished,  my  son." 

"And  the  creeping  things,  mother,  that  we   live 

upon,  where  are  they?" 


44  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Safe  under  the  earth,  my  son." 

"Oh,  mother,  how  dreary  it  is,  then!  we  have 
nothing  at  all  left." 

"  Well,"  said  the  old  bird,  "  it  is  dreary  now ;  but 
look  up  at  the  sun  that  shines  in  the  heavens,  —  he 
still  remains  to  us,  and,  when  his  time  comes  to  work, 
will  restore  to  us  the  flowers  and  the  fruits  and  the 
painted  flies,  and  all  our  needful  food :  and  therefore 
let  us  wait  patiently,  my  son ;  for  in  him  we  have  all 
things,  though  now  hidden  from  us." 


CIRCUMSTANCES  ALTER  CASES. 

FRISK,  my  lady's  dog,  had  a  way  of  standing  on 
his  hind-legs  and  looking  out  of  the  window  to  see 
what  was  going  on  in  the  world  without.  One  fine 
whiter  morning,  having  finished  an  excellent  break- 
fast of  bread  and  milk,  and  warmed  himself  thor- 
oughly on  the  hearth-rug,  he  ran  to  his  old  place,  the 
window  having  been  opened  a  little  to  let  out  the 


CIRCUMSTANCES  ALTER  CASES.        45 

smoke.  He  had  just  settled  himself,  when  Growler 
and  Drover,  two  shepherd-dogs,  met  underneath  the 
window,  their  coats  looking  dingy  against  the  white 
snow,  and  rough  and  shabby  with  hard  running, 
while  their  breath  floated  in  thick  curling  clouds  on 
the  clear  air. 

"Good  day,  Drover,  —  it's  terribly  sharp,"  said 
Growler. 

"  Ay,  pretty  well  for  that,"  said  Drover. 

"  I  have  seldom  known  it  to  set  in  so  bad  as  this 
so  early,"  said  Growler. 

"  No,  it  is  trying,"  said  Drover,  "  especially  in  the 
mornings :  I  can  hardly  feel  my  legs." 

"  Our  sheep  are  just  frozen,"  said  Growler ;  "  and 
as  to  the  cows,  their  teeth  pretty  well  freeze  to  the 
turnips." 

"  Poor  brutes !  no  wonder  I  heard  old  Dobbin  cry 
out  that  his  shed  was  so  cold  he  was  as  stiff  as  the 
old  barn-door  that  won't  go  on  its  hinges.  What  in 
the  world  do  all  those  poor  creatures  do  that  lie  out 
on  the  common,  —  the  stray  donkeys  and  the  gypsy 
horses?" 


46  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  What,  indeed !  It  make's  one's  teeth  chatter  to 
think  of  them." 

"Fie!  fie!"  said  Frisk,  looking  down  on  them; 
"I'm  sure  this  is  most  seasonable  weather;  what 
would  you  have?  A  fine,  fresh,  sparkling  air,  a 
bright  blue  sky,  and  a  healthy  crisp  frost,  —  charm- 
ing weather  if  you  would  only  be  sensible  of  it :  you 
should  try  for  a  contented  mind,  friends,  and  recom- 
mend the  same  to  the  sheep,  the  cows,  Dobbin,  and 
the  stray  donkeys ;  for  reflect,  I  pray  you,  it  is,  all  of 
it,  what  they  are  used  to,  and  what  they  riiay  always 
expect." 

Frisk  said  all  this  with  much  vivacity,  his  eyes 
dancing  with  animation,  and  a  smirk  of  satisfaction 
on  his  face. 

"Ah!"  said  Drover,  looking  up,  "have  you  had 
breakfast?" 

«  Yes,"  said  Frisk. 

"  Pray  where  did  you  have  it  ?  "  asked  Drover. 

"  By  the  fireside,"  said  Frisk. 

"So  I  thought,"  said  Drover:  "perhaps,  if  you 
knew  the  meaning  of  hard  quarters  and  short 


THE    MILL-HORSE    AND    THE    RACER.  47 

commons,  you  wouldn't  be  quite  so  philosophical. 
Change  places  with  us  for  a  few  days,  and  then  let 
us  see  what  sort  of  a  sentiment  you  would  send  to 
Dobbin  and  his  fellow-sufferers." 


THE  MILL-HORSE  AND  THE  RACER. 

"  WHAT  a  dull  life  yours  is!"  said  a  racer  to  a  mill- 
hqrse. 

''  Dull  enough,"  said  the  mill-horse. 

"  You  must  feel  uncommonly  stupid  ! " 

"  Stupid  enough,"  said  the  mill-horse. 

"Round  and  round,  —  round  and  round,  —  and 
that,  day  after  day!  No  wonder  your  head  hangs 
down,  —  why,  you're  just  a  piece  of  machinery,  and 
no  better." 

The  mill-horse  didn't  answer,  but  continued  going 
his  round ;  while  the  racer,  who  was  tethered  near, 
repeated  his  remarks  every  time  he  came  within 
hearing. 

"  I'm  afraid  I've  offended  you,"  said  the  racer. 


48  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Oh,  no,"  answered  the  mill-horse ;  "  but  my  quiet 
life  has  this  advantage  in  it,  —  it  gives  me  time  to 
think  before  I  speak." 

u  And  have  you  been  thinking  while  I  have  been 
talking  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  mill-horse ;  "  and  I'll  tell  you 
what  I've  been  thinking,  —  you're  a  very  fine  fellow, 
and  I  am  contemptible  in  your  sight;  but  I  know 
which  of  us  would  be  the  most  missed.  Depend  on 
this,  if  I  and  my  breed  were  to  take  our  departure, 
and  no  other  substitutes  could  be  found,  folks  would 
do  without  racing,  and  take  you  and  your  breed  into 
our  places." 


DROVER     AND     THE     TINKER'S     DOG.  49 

DROVER  AND   THE  TINKER'S   DOG. 

"No  wonder  my  master  calls  me  sensible,"  said 
Drover,  who  began  to  be  proud  of  himself;  "he  told 
the  farmer  yesterday  he  wouldn't  part  with  me  at 
any  price,  and  I'm  sure  he  wouldn't.  Well!  I've 
earned  my  character ;  for,  as  he  says,  i  I'm  never 
idling  when  my  work  is  ready ; '  I  never  was  caught 
worrying  a  sheep,  as  old  Growl  did,  when  he  got  in 
a  passion.  I  never  thieve  if  I  am  left  ever  so  long 
without  breakfast.  No :  no  one  can  touch  my  char- 
acter ;  I  have  that  to  reflect  on,  and  it  gives  my  meal 
an  extra  relish  to  think  I  deserve  it.  Besides,  I 
know  my  work  so  well !  When  did  I  ever  miss  find- 
ing a  stray  sheep,  or  when  did  I  ever  let  a  suspicious 
dog  come  near  my  master's  coat  and  basket  ?  Why, 
I  know  a  rogue  at  a  glance ;  and  he  must  have  more 
wit  than  most  who  could  take  me  in.  Ha,  ha  !  take 
me  in,  indeed ! "  and  he  diverted  himself  with  the 
thought,  as  he  munched  his  breakfast. 

He  was  just  preparing  for  the  last  bone,  —  the 
largest  and  the  best, — when  a  slight  noise  made  him 


50  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

look  beside  him,  and  there,  outside  the  wicket,  sat  an 
ill-looking,  half-starved  mongrel,  with  a  ragged  ear 
and  one  eye. 

"-It's  the  tinker's  dog,"  muttered  Drover,  "  a  poach- 
ing thief;  what  does  he  want,  staring  at  me  while  I 
am  eating?" 

But  he  could  not  order  him  away,  as  he  was  on 
the  queen's  highway. 

However,  it  so  spoiled  his  breakfast,  that,  in  as  po- 
lite a  tone  as  he  could  manage,  he  begged  him  to 
understand  his  behavior  was  very  unmannerly. 

"Ah,  sir,"  said  the  tinker's  dog  in  a  melancholy 
whine,  "  if  you  only  knew  what  a  pleasure  it  is  to  see 
you  eat,  you  would  not  wish  me  to  go." 

"Pooh,  nonsense!"  said  Drover;  "you  won't  make 
me  believe  you  care  to  see  any  one  eat  but  yourself." 

"  That,  naturally,  is  the  highest  gratification ;  but 
when  it  is  out  of  the  question,  there  is  consolation  in 
beholding  the  happiness  of  others ; "  and  the  tinker's 
dog  began  to  whimper. 

"Be  off,"  said  Drover;  "you  are  a  thief  and  a 
poacher,  and  you  know  it ;  you  are  half  starved,  and 


DROVER    AND     THE    TINKER'S     DOG.  51 

you  deserve  it ;  and  take  my  word  for  it,  if  you  do 
live  in  spite  of  starvation,  it  will  only  be  to  be 
hanged  at  last." 

"Oh,  sir,"  said  the  tinker's  dog,  "how  very  discour- 
aging ;  but  the  truth  is,  I  came  to  you  for  a  little  ad- 
vice ;  and,  however  severe  you  may  be,  I  will  thank- 
fully listen.  Pray  go  on,  sir,  with  that  beautiful 
bone ;  I  would  not  hinder  you  from  it  for  a  moment. 
I  smelt  it  from  the  end  of  the  lane." 

Drover  was  much  mollified.  "Advice,  indeed! 
How  long  will  you  follow  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Only  try  me,  sir,"  said  the  tinker's  dog,  giving  a 
sly  look  with  his  one  eye  at  the  bone. 

"  Well,  then,  leave  off  your  bad  ways,  that's  my 
advice,  and  live  honestly  and  work." 

"  Oh,  sir,  if  I  am  only  so  fortunate  as  to  get  over 
this  fit  of  hunger,  I'll  quite  surprise  you,"  said  the 
tinker's  dog. 

"  Give  up  fighting." 

"  Ah,  sir,"  he  replied,  shaking  his  ragged  ear,  and 
turning  his  blind  side  to  him,  "  see  what  fighting  has 
done  for  me." 


52  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

"  And  poaching,"  said  Drover. 

"Poaching!"  was  the  answer;  "why,  I  was  out  all 
last  night,  and  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  shot. 
I  lay  close  till  the  morning,  and  then,  when  my  mas- 
ter found  I  came  home  with  nothing,  he  nearly 
kicked  my  ribs  in,  and  that's  all  we  had  for  break- 
fast: isn't  it  time  I  was  sick  of  poaching?  If  I  could 
only  get  through  this  sad  business,  and  have  the 
countenance  and  advice  of  a  respectable  member  of 
society  like  yourself,  I  should,  as  I  said,  surprise  you. 
But  as  it  is,  I  must  go,  after  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  you  finish  a  breakfast  you  have  so  richly 
deserved,  and  die  in  a  ditch,  —  an  example  of  the 
folly  of  bad  ways." 

"There,"  said  Drover,  quite  overcome,  and  stand- 
ing away  from  his  best  bone,  "  you  may  have  it." 

"  Oh,  impossible !  "  said  the  tinker's  dog,  wriggling 
through  the  fence  and  seizing  the  bone,  with  his  one 
eye  fixed  on  Drover,  as  full  of  admiring  gratitude  as 
it  would  hold. 

"You  can  be  quick,"  said  Drover,  who  was  still 
hungry,  and  —  while  he  heard  the  tinker's  dog  eat- 


DROVER    AND    THE    TINKER'S    DOG.  53 

ing,  for  he  didn't  look  at  him — couldn't  help  wishing 
he  had  come  for  advice  when  his  breakfast  was  over. 

"Ah,  sir,"  said  he,  with  his  mouth  full  of  gristle, 
"  you  have  saved  my  life.  Such  a  bone !  believe 
me,  I  shall  never  forget  it," 

"  Well,  then,"  said  Drover,  "  now  let  me  tell  you 
what  I  think  of  your  way  of  life." 

"  You  have  told  me,"  said  the  tinker's  dog,  licking 
his  lips  and  looking  toward  the  fence. 

"  Well,  but  how  to  mend  it,"  said  Drover,  in  some 
surprise  at  his  altered  tone. 

"You  have  mended  it  wonderfully  with  that 
bone,"  said  the  tinker's  dog.  "  I  am  quite  another 
thing;"  and  he  made  for  the  fence. 

"Ay,  but  you  wanted  some  good  advice,"  said  Dro- 
ver, discomposed. 

"  Quite  a  mistake  of  yours,"  said  the  tinker's  dog, 
who  had  now  wriggled  himself  through.  "  I  wanted 
some  breakfast,  and  I  knew  very  well  the  way  to  get 
it  was  to  ask  for  advice.  Sensible  as  you  are,  I  can 
see  farther  with  one  eye  than  you  can  with  two. 
But,  not  to  be  ungrateful  for  that  excellent  bone,  let 


54  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

me  give  you  a  piece  of  advice.  Never  trust  repent- 
ance that  comes  from  a  hungry  stomach,  nor  take 
compliments  from  a  beggar ; "  and  away  he  ran. 

"I  hope  my  master  won't  hear  of  this,"  said  Dro- 
ver, looking  ashamed. 


MORE  WINTER  BEFORE  SPRING. 

"  SPRING  is  coming,"  said  a  celandine,  peeping  from 
under  a  hedge. 

"Is  it  really?"  said  a  thrush;  "then  I  must  look 
after  my  nest.  But  who  told  you  so  ?" 

"The  sun.  When  he  came  this  morning, he  looked 
so  lovingly  on  me,  that  I  opened  at  once  to  see  him, 
and  a  soft  breath  of  air  was  playing  all  around :  be- 
sides, the  violet  is  quite  ready  to  show  her  pretty 
face,  and  I  can  smell  her  perfume  even  here." 

The  thrush  shook  his  head.  "  Is  spring  coming  ?  " 
he  said  to  the  violet. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  violet. 


MORE  WINTER  BEFORE  SPRING.        55 

"  How  do  you  know  ? "  asked  the  thrush. 

"  By  the  soft  dew  that  hung  on  me  this  morning, 
which  the  sun  kissed  away.  Wait  till  to-morrow, 
and  you  shall  see  all  my  buds  open." 

"  Is  spring  coming  ?  "  said  the  thrush  to  a  daisy, 
that  showed  her  bright  round  face  on  the  turf. 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  said  the  daisy ;  «  not  yet." 

"How  so?"  said  the  thrush;  "celandine  and  violet 
assure  me  it  is." 

"  Celandine  and  violet  are  young  and  inexperi- 
enced," said  the  daisy.  u  I  have  weathered  the  win- 
ter, and  know  well  that  it  is  not  over.  The  sun 
kissed  me ;  and  the  south  wind  blew  at  Christmas ; 
but  I  knew  full  well  it  was  not  to  be  depended  upon; 
and,  although  he  was  kind  this  morning  as  he  was 
then,  and  a  breeze  just  as  gentle  blew,  winter  is  not 
past,  —  take  my  word  for  it." 

The  thrush  told  the  celandine  and  violet  what  the 
daisy  said. 

"  Mere  croaking,"  said  celandine. 

"  Some  people  are  given  to  forbode,"  said  the  vio- 
let. 


56  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

The  thrush  hopped  about:  he  wished  to  believe 
them,  but  couldn't  help  thinking  the  daisy  was  right. 

That  night  a  sharp  frost  set  in,  and  killed  the  cel- 
andine and  the  violet,  and  a  deep  snow  soon  buried 
them.  The  thrush  could  hardly  find  a  hip  or  a  haw 
for  his  dinner.  When  the  snow  melted,  the  daisy 
was  there  on  the  turf.  The  sun  was  shining  and  the 
south  wind  blowing ;  the  thrush,  half  starved,  was 
pecking  about  for  worms. 

"You'll  believe  me  now,  won't  you?"  said  the 
daisy.  "  Take  my  advice,  and  don't  begin  to  build 
yet :  there  will  be  more  whiter  before  spring  comes." 

The  thrush  hopped  over  the  graves  of  celandine 
and  violet,  and  sang  a  little  twittering  requiem,  and 
then  flew  back  to  his  hole  to  wait  for  building-time. 


HEART'SEASE.  57 


HEART'SEASE. 

"BE  a  rose,"  said  the  rose  to  a  little  fairy,  who 
wanted  to  change  herself  into  a  flower.  "  I  am  the 
queen  of  the  garden:  look  at  my  exquisite  color; 
smell  my  matchless  perfume;  look  at  my  form,  so 
full,  so  delicately  soft.  Oh,  be  a  rose ! " 

"  Be  a  lily, "  said  the  lily.  "  The  rose  is  a  beauty, 
and  she  knows  it,"  she  added  in  a  whisper ;  "  but  I 
can  tell  you,  she  is  very  subject  to  blight  of  several 
sorts,  and  often  has  to  be  washed  with  tobacco-water 
and  other  odious  things.  Look  at  me;"  and  she 
proudly  bent  her  head  to  show  her  golden  orna- 
ments. 

"Be  a  dahlia,"  said  the  dahlia:  "the  lilly  is  well 
enough ;  but  the  snails  are  so  fond  of  her  leaves,  that 
she  often  sits  awkwardly  on  a  bare  stalk,  top-heavy. 
Look  at  my  velvet  face,  so  correct  in  its  form,  so  rich 
in  its  texture.  Oh,  be  a  dahlia ! " 

"Be  a  convolvulus,"  said  a  brilliant  azure  and 
crimson  and  purple-blossomed  one  that  was  climbing 


58  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

up  some  trellis-work :  "  dahlia  is  as  stiff  as  the  stick 
she  is  tied  to,  and  she  has  no  scent  whatever.  More- 
over, it  is  whispered  among  the  flowers  that  she  is  of 
low  origin ;  being,  in  fact,  nothing  more  than  a  kind 
of  potato.  Look  at  my  grace  and  beauty.  When 
the  morning  dew  hangs  on  my  purple  blossoms,  and 
the  sunbeams  tremble  in  it,  I  am  glorious  to  behold." 

The  fairy  stood  irresolute.  The  convolvulus  had 
not  overrated  her  charms;  but  favorites  have  no 
friends. 

An  iris  whispered,  "  You  ought  to  know  that  con- 
volvulus, with  all  her  grace  and  beauty,  is  not  to 
be  envied,  for  she  fades  before  the  sun  is  at  its 
hight;  and  while  we  are  still  adorning  the  garden, 
there  is  nothing  left  of  her  but  an  unsightly,  with- 
ered, twisted  leaf." 

And  thus,  one  after  another,  the  flowers  besieged 
the  fairy:  each  was  the  first  till  the  rest  told  her 
tale. 

"Be  a  pansy,"  at  last  cried  out  a  sprightly  little 
blossom  that  was  perched  on  a  wall.  "  Look  up  here, 
fairy;  I  am  never  troubled  with  blight;  the  snails 


HEART'SEASE.  59 


do  not  think  me  worth  robbing ;  nobody  can  call  me 
stiff ;  and  as  to  gentility,  my  relations,  the  violets 
under  the  hedges,  and  my  more  aristocratic  sisters 
that  are  sitting  in  yon  flower-bed,  so  well  dressed  and 
shaped  that  I  can  hardly  believe  we  are  of  the  same 
family,  are  guaranties  for  my  birth." 

u  Nay,"  said  the  fairy,  "  you  are  but  a  weed." 

"  Don't  believe  it,"  said  the  pansy ;  "  I  am  as  much 
a  flower  as  any  of  them :  ask  my  cousins  excelsior 
and  the  emperor  of  Russia,  in  that  pansy-bed,  if  we 
are  weeds. 

"  But  you  have  no  name,"  said  the  fairy. 

"Haven't  I?"  said  the  pansy.  "Go  to  a  poor 
man's  garden  and  ask  him  my  name,  he'll  tell  you  it 
is  heart'sease ;  and  where  will  you  find  a  better  than 
that?  And  why  am  I  called  so?  Because  it's  my 
character:  wherever  I  go,  there  I  flourish.  If  the 
gardener  seeds  me,  pots  me,  and  pets  me,  I  come  out 
all  velvet  and  gold,  like  yonder  beauties.  If  the 
wind  carries  my  seed  to  a  wall-top  or  a  rubbish  heap, 
I  do  my  best  and  come  out  in  the  same  colors, 
though  not  so  rich  and  bright.  I  rejoice  alike  in 


60  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

sunshine  and  shower ;  neither  drought  nor  rains  will 
destroy  me.  I  may  hang  my  head  now  and  then, 
but  I  always  come  up  again.  No  lot  is  perfect ;  but 
that  is  the  nearest  to  it  which  has  heart'sease  to 
sweeten  it.  Take  my  advice,  then,  fairy,  and  be  a 
pansy." 

"Well,  really,"  said  the  fairy,  "I  think  I  will" 


OUR  LOTS  ARE  EVEN. 

"Miss,  miss,  how  comfortable  you  are!"  said  a 
flock  of  sparrows  to  a  canary  that  hung  in  a  hand- 
some gilt  cage  in  a  conservatory. 

"  I  hope  you  are  the  same,"  said  the  canary. 

"It  is  a  sharp  frost,  miss,"  they  said,  as  they  nestled 
close  to  the  glass,  "and  the  ground  is  as  hard  as  iron; 
and  if  you'll  believe  us,  there's  nothing  to  be  had  for 
love  or  money.  We've  cleared  the  hedges ;  we've 
eaten  all  Miss  Anne's  crumbs ;  and  there  isn't  a  worm 
that  is  kind-hearted  enough  to  show  itself,  to  help  us 
to  a  breakfast." 


OUR    LOTS    ARE    EVEN.  61 

"  Well ! "  said  the  canary. 

"  Yes,  miss;  it's  very  well  for  you,  with  all  that 
beautiful  seed ;  but  if  you  would  just  let  us  have  a 
little,  we  should  take  it  very  kind.  It's  fine  to  be 
you  in  that  beautiful  house  among  all  those  fresh 
flowers,  feasting  in  plenty." 

"  Friends,"  said  the  canary,  "  when  summer  comes, 
the  soft  air,  the  blue  sky,  the  flowery  earth,  and  fruits 
of  all  kinds,  with  liberty  of  wing,  and  heart  to  enjoy 
them,  will  be  yours.  You  may  well  bear  the  evils  of 
your  lot,  the  hardships  of  winter ;  nor  envy  me,  who, 
though  I  now  have  plentiful  food  and  pleasant  shel- 
ter, shall  have  no  more  when  you  are  in  the  fullness 
of  delight,  and  nature  strongly  pleads  within  me,  — 
Why  am  I  not  equally  blessed?" 


62  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


SNARLER  AND   DROVER. 

"THE  hunters!  the  hunters!"  cried  Drover  to 
Snarler,  the  house-dog ;  and  up  they  both  were  in  a 
moment  to  the  top  of  a  bank,  where  they  had  a  good 
view  of  them. 

"  How  brave  they  look  in  their  scarlet  coats !"  said 
Drover,  quite  excited  ;•  "  and  what  horses  they  have ! 
not  like  our  old  Dobbin  and  Cherry ;  and  those  dogs 
—  here  they  come  —  what  a  pack !  Well,  they  are 
worth  looking  at,  —  up  to  the  mark  to-day,  and  no 
mistake !  Two  —  four  —  six ;  but  it's  no  use  trying 
to  count  them.  If  they're  not  proud  of  themselves, 
it's  a  wonder;  there  they  go!"  and  he  turned  his 
head,  and  watched  them  fairly  out  of  sight. 

"  Now  that's  a  sight  worth  coming  to  see ;  it  has 
done  me  good.  I  must  be  off,  for  it  is  shepherding- 
time.  Why,  Snarler,  my  boy,  what's  the  matter? 
You  don't  look  as  if  pleasure  had  agreed  with  you," 
he  continued,  as  he  noticed  the  woe-begone  face  of 
his  companion. 


SNAELER    AND    DROVER.  63 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  difference  of  our  lots  in 
life,  Drover,"  replied  Snarler.  "  Why  are  we  to  have 
nothing  but  hard  fare  and  hard  work,  —  dull  days 
and  no  pleasure  ?  We  are  as  good  as  others ;  and  I 
think  it  is  very  unjust." 

"  Ah  ! "  said  Drover ;  "  now  you  see  the  opposite 
ways  we  take  things.  I  never  thought  of  such  mat- 
ters  while  I  was  diverting  myself  with  the  sight; 
but,  when  you  come  to  consider  of  it,  you  and  I 
should  cut  comical  figures  among  a  pack  of  hounds. 
We  are  as  good  in  our  line ;  but  then  our  lines  are 
different.  There  must  be  house-dogs  and  shepherd- 
dogs;  and  the  gentlemen  will  tell  you  there  must 
be  hounds.  All  right :  it  has  fallen  to  our  lot  to  be 
of  the  plainer  sort.  Let  us  be  content." 

"  Oh  that  I  had  been  a  hound ! "  rejoined  Snarler. 
"Didn't  you  feel  the  same,  Drover,  while  we  were 
looking  at  them?" 

"Well,  no,"  said  Drover.  "I  thought  nothing 
about  changing  places ;  but  if  I  had,  why,  I  should 
have  felt  very  well  satisfied  to- remember  that  I  was 
not  the  fox  just  then ! " 


64 


ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


EFFECT  FOR  CAUSE. 

"CAW!  caw!  what's  the  matter,  neighbor?"  said 
one  rook  to  another  building  in  the  same  tree. 

"  Matter  enough,"  was  the  answer.  "  All  my  beau- 
tiful work,  that  looked  so  clever  yesterday,  destroyed 
by  the  gales  that  blew  last  night." 

."Caw!  caw!"  said  the  first,  flying  down  to  survey 
the  ruin.  "  I  should  have  been  in  the  same  plight, 
neighbor,  if  I  had  not  been  so  snug  in  the  fork  of 
yon  branch.  Yours  is  a  pleasant  place  truly,  if  you 
are  able  to  keep  it." 


EFFECT    FOR    CAUSE.  65 

"  But  I  can  not  keep  it.  Three  times  now  has  my 
labor  been  in  vain.  All  blown  down.  Caw!  caw! 
caw ! " 

By  this  time  many  builders  had  gathered  around 
the  desolated  nest. 

"  Friends,"  said  one,  sidling  along  a  branch  rather 
above  them,  "  it  is  too  bad :  it  is  really  a  pity !  Your 
hearts  must  have  ached,  as  mine  did,  to  see  the 
ground  of  the  avenue  strewed  with  sticks  and  twigs 
scattered  about  hi  dismal  profusion,  showing  what 
the  devastations  of  last  night  were :  it  is  high  time 
to  put  an  end  to  such  evils." 

"  Caw !  caw !  "  cried  the  rooks.  "  What  are  we  to 
do?" 

"I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  orator.  "Go  to  yon 
brazen  bird  on  the  top  of  the  church-tower.  I  have 
noticed,  that,  whenever  he  turns  his  head  to  the  wil- 
lows, our  nests  are  in  danger,  if  they  do  not  abso- 
lutely come  down.  Tell  him  plainly  that  if  he  will 
look  that  way,  we  will  peck  his  eyes  out." 

"  Caw !  caw ! "  said  the  rooks ;  and,  rising  in  a 
cluster  and  wheeling  round,  they  soon  settled  on  the 


66  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

church-tower.  The  weathercock  was  staring  hard  at 
the  north-east  point,  and  could  not  see  them  till  they 
had  marshaled  themselves  on  the  battlements  in 
front  of  him.  When  they  had  finished  their  ha- 
rangue of  complaints,  reproaches,  and  threats,  he 
creaked  out, — 

"He!  he!  he!  Excuse  me,  gentlemen;  but  I 
should  have  given  you  rooks  credit  for  more  wisdom. 
Break  your  bills  if  you  please  in  pecking  out  my 
eyes.  When  you  have  done,  you  will  be  in  the  same 
place  that  you  are  now.  If  you  could  manage  to 
lay  hold  of  the  north-east  wind  and  punish  him,  you 
would  gain  your  end,  and  I  would  turn  round  with 
pleasure ;  but  as  that  would  be  a  difficult  business, 
the  best  advice  I  call  give  you  is  to  go  back  and 
build  where  he  can  not  injure  you,  or  else  to  stay 
building  till  he  has  done  blowing." 


THE     SWALLOWS.  67 


THE   SWALLOWS. 

"  How  provoking ! "  said  Betty,  as  she  stood  with 
her  long  broom  in  her  hand  under  the  parlor  win- 
dow. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  said  the  vicar,  looking  out 
of  it. 

"Why,  sir,  these  swallows!"  said  Betty:  "four 
times  this  summer  I  have  knocked  down  their  nests ; 
they  will  build  under  the  slates  just  above ;  and  they 
make  me  such  work,  I've  no  patience  with  them." 

"Four  times!  Are  you  sure  they  have  begun 
again  four  times?"  said  the  vicar  with  interest. 

"  Sure  enough,  sir ;  they  got  the  start  of  me,  and 
finished  their  nests  the  first  time  before  I  noticed 
them;  then  I  knocked  them  down  with  the  long 
rake,  by  help  of  the  ladder ;  but  in  two  days  John 
came  to  tell  me  they  had  got  a  good  way  on  with 
new  ones.  I  soon  finished  them ;  but  if  they  didn't 
begin  again  that  very  evening !  —  and  the  next  morn- 
ing I  had  a  good  piece  to  clear  away.  I  thought 
that  would  tire  them  out,  and  didn't  look  for  a  time ; 


68  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

but  right  in  the  very  same  place,  when  I  did  look, 
were  the  two  nests  built  up  to  the  top.  This  shall 
be  the  last  time,  I  said ;  and  I  smashed  'em  to  atoms, 
and  away  flew  all  the  birds,  pretty  well  scared.  But 
the  obstinate,  perverse  things  won't  be  conquered. 
Here  they  are  again,  the  nests  more  than  half  made. 
Please,  sir,  might  John  have  the  gun  to  shoot  them?" 
u  Oh,  no,  Betty ! "  said  the  vicar,  "  by  no  means." 
"  Then,  sir,  I  can  never  get  rid  of  them." 
"  Don't  attempt  it,  Betty,"  said  the  vicar,  who  had 
listened  with  much  attention  to  her  complaints. 
"  Let  them  dwell  in  peace,  where  they  have  had  such 
a  trial  of  patience  in  building.  I  wish  I  may  preach 
as  useful  a  sermon  next  Sunday  as  their  example  has 
preached  to  me  to-day." 

Betty  looked  amazed.  "Not  knock  them  down, 
sir?"  she  asked  in  a  tone  of  vexed  surprise. 

"No;  don't  touch  them.  Every  time  they  twitter, 
they  will  remind  me  of  the  injunction,  'Faint  not.' 
They  have  gained  their  parish,  and  are  under  my 
protection;  so  take  away  your  broom,  Betty,"  said 
the  vicar,  with  a  smile,  as  he  closed  the  window. 


THE    SNOW    AND    THE    FLOWERS. 


"  Ah ! "  said  Betty,  as  she  watched  his  white  head 
disappearing;  "it's  all  very  good,  I  dare  say,  but 
master  hasn't  got  to  clean  the  windows." 

No,  master  had  not ;  but  he  had  trying  lessons  of 
patience  with  a  refractory  parish  full  of  perverse 
hearts,  and  had  often  been  tempted  to  cry  out  in 
despair,  "  It  is  enough ;  I  will  no  longer  work  here  ; 
it  is  not  my  place." 

Joyfully,  therefore,  did  he  take  the  hint  from  the 
swallows,  and  determined  to  build  on,  saying  to  him- 
self, "  Perhaps  one  more  season  of  patient  labor,  and, 
like  them,  I  may  gain  my  parish." 


THE  SNOW  AND  THE  FLOWEKS. 

"  How  unkind ! "  murmured  a  golden  crocus  as  the 
flakes  of  snow  fell  fast  and  thick  upon  it. 

"  How  very  unkind ! "  said  a  company  of  seedlings 
that  were  briskly  putting  up  their  little  green  heads, 
which  the  soft  flakes  soon  covered. 

"  How  unkind  !  "  said  the  bronze  buds  of  the  lilac. 
"  How  very  unkind !  just  as  we  were  opening  to  the 


70  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 


sun,  that  shone  so  kindly  on  us ! "  and   they  com- 
plained till  the  fleecy  burden  hid  them  one  by  one. 

And  there  was  a  white  world.  Then  came  the 
stern  frost  from  the  north,  and  the  little  fountains 
were  sealed,  and  the  snow  over  all  things  shone  like 
a  crystal  case,  and  the  bitter  east  wind  raged 
fiercely,  and  all  was  silence  except  where  its  dismal 
voice  was  heard.  But  it  was  hushed  at  last,  and  the 
sun  came  gently  forth,  and  the  soft  and  genial  west 
winds  blew,  and  the  streamlets  were  free  again,  and 
the  crystal  dissolved,  and  the  snow  beneath  sank 
quietly,  gradually,  into  the  earth,  saying  to  the  com- 
plaining buds  and  blossoms  and  beginnings  of  green 
things,  "Farewell!  I  sheltered  you  from  the  stern 
frost,  I  protected  you  from  the  angry  blast :  my  work 
so  far  is  done.  Now  I  go  down  to  soften  and  enrich 
the  earth,  that  you  may  be  sustained  and  refreshed. 
When  you  have  drunk  in  all  its  blessings,  and  are  re- 
joicing in  fullness  of  strength  and  beauty,  remember 
me,  whom  you  received  with  reproaches  and  endured 
with  impatience,  and  acknowledge  that  he  is  the 
faithful  friend  that  works  to  a  good  end." 


THE  DONKEY  AND  THE  PACK-HORSE.     71 


THE  DONKEY  AND  THE  PACK-HORSE. 

"TuKN  the  pack-horse  into  the  field,"  said  the 
fanner,  "and  open  the  hay-fence  for  him.  I  shall 
have  stiff  work  for  him  to-morrow."  So  he  was 
turned  out,  and  tethered  to  the  hay-fence,  which  was 
left  open  that  he  might  go  in  and  out  and  eat  his  fill. 

A  donkey  that  was  in  the  same  field  came  up  to 
him,  and  said  humbly,  "  Is  the  hay  nice,  friend  ?  " 

"Friend"  said  the  pack-horse,  kicking  up  his 
heels,  "  what  do  you  mean  ?  Know  your  place  !  " 

"I  ask  pardon,"  said  the  donkey;  "  but,  as  the  field 
is  bare,  I  thought  if  you'd  a  mouthful  of  hay  to 
spare,  —  a  rough  bit  that  wasn't  so  pleasant,  —  you 
might  favor  me  with  it." 

K  Keep  your  distance ! "  said  the  pack-horse,  again 
throwing  up  his  heels.  "Do  you  take  me  for  a 
donkey  like  yourself,  that  you  think  we  are  to  eat 
together?" 

Next  day  the  pack-horse  was  taken  from  the  field, 
and  laden  with  sacks  of  wool  till  his  back  was  ready 
to  break. 


72  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Friend,"  he  groaned  out  to  the  donkey,  who  had 
the  curiosity  to  look  through  the  gate  at  him  as  he 
went  down  the  road,  "couldn't  you  —  should  you 
mind  just  carrying  one  of  these  sacks  for  me  ?  " 

"  Dear  sir,"  answered  the  donkey,  "  I  hope  I  know 
my  place  better,  after  the  lecture  you  gave  me  yes- 
terday, when  I  wanted  a  little  of  your  hay.  I 
wouldn't  take  the  liberty  of  attempting  to  share  in 
your  work,  and  I  can  assure  you  I've  no  greater  wish 
to  be  a  pack-horse  to-day  than  you  had  yesterday  to 
be  a  donkey." 


THE  DUCKLING  AND  THE  WATER-HEN. 

"MOTHER!  mother!  what's  that?"  said  a  young 
duck,  as  a  water-hen  swam  over  the  brook,  and  ran 
across  the  orchard. 

"  A  water-hen,"  said  the  old  duck. 

"  Who  is  she,  mother,  and  where  does  she  come 
from?" 

"  I  tell  you  she  is  a  water-hen,"  said  the  old  duck, 


THE    DUCKLING     AND     THE    WATER-HEN.          73 

who  was  engaged  on  a  fine  piece  of  cabbage,  and 
didn't  like  to  be  interrupted. 

"Where  does  she  come  from,  mother?  Is  she  of 
any  consequence?" 

"  She  comes  from  her  nest  by  the  brook-side,  child. 
She's  not  of  half  the  consequence  to  me  that  this 
piece  of  cabbage  is." 

<•  But,  mother,  how  does  she  live  ?  " 

u  De*ar,  dear ! "  said  the  old  duck,  "  as  she  can,  I 
suppose.  Do  let  me  finish  my  dinner!" 

"  Then  she  has  no  beautiful  house  like  ours, 
mother,  built  on  purpose  for  her?" 

"  No,"  said  the  duck,  with  her  mouth  full. 

"And  hasn't  her  dinner  laid  regularly  for  her 
every  day,  as  we  have?" 

"  No,"  said  the  old  duck.  Upon  which  the  young 
duck  went  up  to  the  water-hen,  and  addressed  her 
very  superciliously. 

"  Do  you  know  that  this  is  our  orchard  ?  " 

"Is  it?"  said  the  water-hen.  "Well,  I  suppose  I 
may  run  through  it?" 

"  And  that's  our  brook/' 


74  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  may  swim  across  it  ?  "  said  the 
hen. 

"You're  a  person  of  no  consequence,"  said  the 
duck. 

"  Quite  true,"  said  the  hen. 

"Have  you  ever  seen  our  house?"  said  the  duck. 

u  No,"  said  the  hen. 

"  We  have  dinner  put  for  us  regularly  every  day," 
said  the  duck.  "  We  are  not  obliged  to  hunt  for  it, 
as  you  are." 

"A  dinner  is  but  a  dinner,"  said  the  water-hen, 
"whether  it's  put  for  you,  or  whether  you  get  it 
for  yourself." 

"  Yes,  but  don't  you  see  how  much  more  we  are 
thought  of?"  said  the  duck. 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  said  the  hen  ;  "  and  you'll  find  it  out 
to  your  cost  some  day,  when  you  are  on  your  way  to 
market,  and  I  am  snug  by  the  brook-side.  I'd  rather 
find  my  own  dinner,  and  have  no  value  set  upon  me, 
than  be  pampered  and  petted  like  you,  and  served 
up  at  a  table  at  last." 


THE  VICAR'S  PEAS.  75 


THE  VICAR'S  PEAS. 

WHAT  a  commotion  there  was  on  the  top  of  the 
wall  that  over-looked  the  vicarage  garden !  All  the 
birds,  from  the  blackbird  to  the  blue-tit,  and  even 
the  little  wren,  were  hopping  and  running  and  chirp- 
ing and  chattering  in  a  state  of  the  highest  excite- 
ment. 

"Friend  Robert,  have  you  seen  it?"  said  the 
blackbird,  with  gravity,  to  a  redbreast,  who,  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion,  was  complacently  admiring 
his  legs. 

"What's  it  like, Bob?"  said  a  pert  little  bunting, 
hopping  round  in  front  of  him. 

"  Like  ! "  said  the  thrush  (before  the  robin  could 
answer),  with  a  melancholy  warble,  "horror  of  hor- 
rors !  Let  me  never  behold  such  a  sight  again.  I 
saw  it  from  the  apple-trees  in  the  orchard." 

"  Let  us  emigrate ;  pray  let  us  emigrate,"  said  the 
wren,  almost  in  fits. 

"There  certainly  will  be  no  remaining  in  such  a 
land  of  harpies,"  said  the  thrush,  dismally. 


76  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  What  are  they  like  ?  what  are  they  like  ?  "  rose 
the  cry  on  all  sides.  "  Who  has  seen  them  nearer 
than  from  the  apple-trees?  Can  no  one  describe 
them?" 

"Gentlemen,"  said  a  sparrow,  advancing,  "since 
no  more  worthy  speaker  comes  forward,  I  presume 
to  address  you.  I  have  seen  them;  and  such  a 
sight !  This  morning  very  early,  being  well  aware 
that  the  vicar  sowed  his  peas  yesterday,  I  called  my 
family  and  a  friend  or  two  to  go  with  me,  and  pick 
up  a  few  stray  ones  that  might  lie  on  the  top.  I 
have  met  with  difficulties  and  dangers  before  now.  I 
well  remember  how  severely  I  was  agitated  by  the 
vicaress'  old  bonnet  stuck  on  a  stick,  till  I  found  out 
what  it  was;  and  it  was  some  time  before  I  grew 
used  to  the  noise  the  vicar  made  with  his  gun,  till  it 
was  happily  ascertained  that  he  never  did  any  other 
harm  than  break  the  window  with  return  shots ;  but 
little  did  I  expect  to  encounter  the  horrible  guard 
with  which  he  has  now  sought  to  protect  his  peas. 
From  side  to  side,  from  corner  to  corner,  across  and 
across,  they  stretch,  red,  blue,  yellow,  white,  black, 


THE  VICAR'S  PEAS.  77 

every  color  under  the  sun.  We  had  scarcely  arrived 
within  sight  of  them  when  the  wind  arose  a  little ; 
and  whether  it  was  that  they  rejoiced  in  the  breeze, 
or  were  making  merry  at  their  expected  vengeance 
upon  us,  I  can't  tell  you,  but  they  danced  up  and 
down,  and  turned  over  and  over  like"  — 

"  Pray  don't  go  on ! "  said  the  wren.  "  Let  us  emi- 
grate directly." 

There  was  a  general  feeling  in  harmony  with  the 
wren's  proposition,  and  the  blackbird  was  on  the 
point  of  taking  the  votes  of  the  assembly,  when  the 
blue-tit  (who  had  no  mind  to  emigrate  from  his 
beloved  peas  till  he  was  assured  of  the  necessity,  and 
who  somewhat  suspected  the  sparrow's  motives  in 
thus  spreading  an  alarm  which  would  get  rid  of  all 
sharers  in  the  feast)  inquired  whether  any  one  be- 
sides the  last  speaker  had  seen  these  ferocious  mon- 
sters. 

No  one  had. 

"Pray,"  said  the  tit,  "did  you  go  quite  close  to 
them  ?  "  The  sparrow  confessed  that  he  had. 

"  Did  they  attempt  to  bite  ?  " 


78  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

The  sparrow  said  he  did  not  stop  to  see. 

"  Did  you  get  any  peas  f  "  said  the  blue-tit. 

The  sparrow,  rather  discomposed,  replied,  "  Merely 
a  taste." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  tit.  "  Friends,  I  am  ready 
to  head  any  of  your  number  who  will  go  with  me  to 
survey  these  monsters;  and,  if  you  all  decline,  I 
shall  go  by  myself.  If  yonder  bundle  of  brown 
feathers  escaped  unhurt,  and  got  '  a  taste '  of  the 
peas  too,  I  don't  see  what  is  to  hinder  us  from  the 
same  good  fortune." 

The  robin,  the  bunting,  the  chaffinch,  several 
others,  and  at  last  the  blackbird,  fell  in  with  the  pro- 
posal ;  the  wren  declaring  she  would  wait  in  a  hole 
in  the  wall  till  they  came  back  again.  They  ap- 
proached cautiously,  and  even  the  blue-tit  was  at 
first  startled  by  some  turkeys'  feathers  suspended  on 
a  thread  and  dancmg  vigorously  in  the  breeze ;  but, 
his  courage  returning,  he  made  a  bold  advance,  and 
after  a  close  survey  of  one  or  two  of  the  red  and 
blue  rags,  finding  he  came  to  no  harm,  flew  back  to 
his  friends,  and  said,  "All  right!  the  besi>tempered 


THINK    OF    OTHERS.  79 

little  creatures  in  the  world."  And  the  whole  party 
were  soon  to  be  seen  hopping  under  and  over  the 
long  lines  of  the  once-dreaded  enemy,  and  regaling 
themselves  on  the  vicar's  peas. 

u  John !  John ! "  cried  the  vicar,  "  these  scarecrows 
are  of  no  use.  I  verily  believe  those  thieves  have 
been  at  the  peas, — mind  you  load  the  gun  to-night!" 
but  it  was  of  no  use :  very  few  peas  did  the  vicar 
get  that  summer. 


THINK  OF  OTHERS. 

"How  insufferable  is  this  rain!"  said  a  delicate 
Carnation  to  her  companion:  "it  has  affected  my 
figure,  giving  me  quite  a  bend  in  the  back  with  its 
unmannerly  large  splashing  drops." 

"  Unendurable !  "  was  the  reply,  "  and  no  necessity 
for  it,  as  we  are  well  watered  by  the  gardener  when- 
ever we  require  it.  My  complexion  will  be  injured ; 
and,  as  to  my  perfume,  it  will  be  washed  away." 

"I  dislike  too  much  water,  as  is  well  known,  at 


80  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

any  time  ;.  what,  then,  can  be  the  reason  of  this  del- 
uge?" 

Thus  did  the  Carnations  echo  and  re-echo  com- 
plaints. 

A  roguish  little  Pansy,  who  had  blossomed  in  a 
crevice  of  the  wall,  looked  down  on  them,  and  said, 
"  Pardon  me,  ladies;  you,  who  are  supplied  with  all 
you  want  by  the  gardener,  may  not  feel  the  value  of 
this  blessed  shower ;  but  if  you  grew  on  the  wall  as 
I  do,  and  had  nothing  to  expect  but  what  came 
straight  from  above,  you  would  not  be  so  unjust  to 
its  worth.  For  many  days  back,  I  looked  up  at  the 
clear  sky,  hoping  to  see  a  cloud.  My  leaves  had 
withered,  and  my  blossoms  curled  up,  when  these 
refreshing  drops  restored  life  and  joy  to  me." 

"Very  fine,"  said  the  Carnations  proudly;  "and 
are  we  to  suffer,  that  a  weed  on  the  wall  may  be 
refreshed?" 

"  Nay,"  replied  the  Pansy ;  "  all  in  our  turn,  good 
ladies :  the  rain  does  not  fall  for  me  alone ;  you  are 
of  the  few  that  suffer  from  the  shower,  I  am  of  the 
thousands  who  rejoice  in  it.  If  you  have  not  the 


LITTLE    AND    GOOD.  81 

heart  to  be  glad  in  the  good  of  so  many,  even  at  the 
cost  of  a  slight  inconvenience,  I  am  sorry  for  you, 
notwithstanding  all  your  privileges,  and  can  not  sym- 
pathize with  your  present  complaining." 


LITTLE  AND   GOOD. 

AMONG  some  jars  of  wine  of  various  sizes  stood  one 
considerably  smaller  than  the  rest,  and  it  was  conse- 
quently looked  down  upon  with  much  contempt  by 
its  companions. 

"  How  many  are  there  of  us  in  all  ? "  asked  a 
portly  jar. 

"  Fifteen,"  cried  the  little  one,  "  as  /  count." 

"  As  you  count ! "  returned  the  offended  vessel  dis- 
dainfully. "  You  surely  don't  so  count  as  to  number 
yourself  among  us ! " 

"  And  why  not  ? "  asked  the  little  jar  stoutly.  "  I 
am  quite  full,  and  what  more  can  any  of  you  be  ?  I 
think  our  respectability  lies  in  making  a  perfect  use 
of  our  capacity,  whatever  it  may  be,  and  not  in  hav- 
ing a  large  one  or  a  small  one.  But  I  can  tell  you 


82  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

another  thing,  —  the  wine  that's  in  me  is  three  times 
as  precious  as  that  which  you  contain ;  so  that  a  lit- 
tle of  me  is  worth  a  great  deal  of  you.  Quantity  is 
of  no  consequence  in  the  value  of  a  thing,  but  qual- 
ity has  more  to  do  with  it  still." 


LOOK  IN  THE  GLASS. 

"  NEVER  associate  with  pigs,  my  dears,"  said  a  duck 
to  her  young  brood,  as  the  sow,  with  her  litter  of 
ten,  passed  in  the  road.  "Never  associate  with 
them,  children :  they  are  such  gluttons,  and  such  re- 
markably dirty  feeders ! " 

«  Well,  if  that  isn't  cool ! "  said  the  old  sow,  who 
heard  the  charge.  "  How  little  we  know  ourselves ! 
Why,  there  isn't  a  mud-pool  that  you  wouldn't  de- 
light to  poke  your  bill  into;  and,  as  to  gluttony, 
when  were  you  ever  known  to  stop  eating,  while 
there  was  any  thing  to  eat  ?  If  you  want  to  remem- 
ber yourself,  then  perhaps  you  won't  be  so  hard 
upon  others." 


THE    SQUIRREL    AND    THE    MASTIFF. 


83 


THE  SQUIRREL  AND  THE  MASTIFF. 

"  WHAT  an  idle  vagabond  you  are ! "  said  a  surly- 
looking  mastiff  to  a  squirrel  that  was  frolicking 
about  in  the  trees  above  him.  The  squirrel  threw  a 
nutshell  at  him.  "I've  been  watching  you  these  two 
hours,"  said  the  mastiff  again,  "and  you've  done 
nothing  but  dance  and  swing  and  skip,  and  whisk 
that  tail  of  yours  about  all  the  time." 


84  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  What  an  idle  dog  you  must  be ! "  said  the  squir- 
rel, "  to  sit  for  two  hours  watching  me  play." 

"  None  of  your  pertness !  I  had  done  all  my  work 
before  I  came  here." 

"Oh,  oh!"  said  the  squirrel;  "well,  my  work's 
never  done.  I've  business  up  this  tree  that  you 
know  nothing  about." 

"  Business  indeed !  I  know  of  no  business  that 
you  have  but  kicking  up  your  heels,  and  eating  nuts, 
and  pelting  honest  folks  with  the  shells." 

"  Fie  ! "  said  the  squirrel,  "  don't  be  ill-tempered  ; " 
and  he  dropped  another  nutshell  at  him. 

"  To  see  the  difference  there  is ! "  said  the  mastiff; 
"  nothing  but  play  and  pleasure  for  you,  up  in  the 
green  trees,  amusing  yourself  from  morning  to 
night." 

"  Don't  envy  me  my  lot,  friend,"  said  the  squirrel ; 
"  for,  although  I  rejoice  in  the  happiness  of  it,  I  must 
remind  you  it  isn't  all  joy.  Summer  doesn't  last  for 
ever ;  and  what  becomes  of  me,  do  you  think,  when 
the  trees  are  bare,  and  the  wind  howls  through  the 
forest,  and  the  fruits  are  gone?  Remember  that 


TRUTH    NOT     ALWAYS    PLEASANT.  85 

then  you  have  a  warm  hearth  and  a  comfortable 
meal  to  look  to." 

"  You  wouldn't  change  with  me,  however,"  said  the 
mastiff. 

"  No ;  nor  you  with  me,  if  you  knew  all,"  said  the 
squirrel.  "  Be  content,  like  me,  to  take  together  the 
rough  and  the  smooth  of  your  proper  lot.  When 
I'm  starving  with  cold  in  the  winter,  I  shall  be  glad 
to  think  of  you  by  your  pleasant  fire.  Can't  you 
find  it  in  your  heart  to  be  glad  now  of  my  sunshine  ? 
Our  lots  are  more  equal  than  they  seem." 


TRUTH  NOT  ALWAYS  PLEASANT. 

"  DEAR  friend ! "  cried  the  Willow,  as  she  bent  over 
the  stream,  and  gazed  on  her  graceful  form  reflected 
on  the  glassy  surface,  "  how  tender  and  how  true 
I  you  are !  I  have  not  a  single  charm  that  is  not  mir- 
rored on  your  faithful  bosom."  And,  as  the  breeze 
played  gently  among  her  branches,  they  bent  to  the 
stream,  and  kissed  the  placid  waters. 
I 


86  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

Summer  passed,  and  winter ;  summer  and  winter  ; 
and  the  Willow  grew  old.  Its  leaves  were  few  and 
its  branches  withered. 

"  How  changed  you  are ! "  she  cried  peevishly  to 
the  stream.  "  Once  I  never  looked  on  you  but  to 
rejoice,  for  all  you  showed  me  was  pleasant  and  full 
of  praise.  Now,  when  I  try  to  bend  to  catch  a 
glimpse,  I  turn  away  sad  and  sorrowful ;  for  what  do 
you  bring  before  me  ?  Not  verdure,  not  symmetry, 
not  grace ;  but  bareness,  deformity,  and  decay.  You 
are  greatly  changed  !  " 

"  Foolish  Willow ! "  answered  the  stream, "  I  am  too 
true^  —  that  is  my  fault.  There  is  a  change,  but  it  is 
not  in  me ;  but  you  are  not  the  only  one  that  looks 
coldly  on  the  truth  when  it  offends  the  liking." 


THE    DONKEY     PHILOSOPHEE.  87 

THE  DONKEY   PHILOSOPHER. 

a  COME  close  to  the  hedge,  Teddy,"  said  a  worn-out 
horse  to  his  friend  the  donkey,  with  whom  he  was 
picking  up  a  scanty  meal  by  the  roadside. 

"  Why  ? "  asked  Teddy,  following  with  his  meas- 
ured pace. 

K  Look  who's  coming ! "  said  the  horse.  And  there 
passed  a  well-conditioned  cob  drawing  a  cart  full  of 
beans. 

"  How  nice  they  smell ! "  said  Teddy.  "  I  should 
think  they  must  be  very  good ;  but  I  never  tasted 
any." 

"  I  used  to  get  them  in  my  better  days,"  said  his 
companion,  sorrowfully ;  "  but  I  can  never  hope  for 
them  again." 

"  He's  a  happy  fellow,  isn't  he  ?  "  said  Teddy,  turn- 
ing his  head  slowly  round  to  watch  the  cart  going  up 
the  hill. 

"  Some  are  born  to  prosperity,  some  to  adversity," 
sighed  the  old  horse.  And  he  went  on  to  entertain 
the  donkey  with  his  recollections  of  the  taste  of 


88  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

beans,  and  to  draw  comparisons  between  their  condi- 
tion and  that  of  the  happy  cob. 

Some  hours  afterwards,  while  they  were  yet  in  the 
road,  the  cart  returned  empty ;  and,  while  the  driver 
stopped  to  chat  with  a  friend  passing  by,  the  horse 
walked  up  to  the  cob. 

"Good  evening,  sir.  Pray,  what  have  you  done 
with  all  your  beans?" 

"  Left  them  behind,"  said  the  cob. 

"  Well,  you're  in  very  different  circumstances  from 
what  you  were  when  you  passed  us  this  morning," 
said  the  old  horse. 

"  How  so  ?  "  asked  the  cob. 

"  Can  you  ask  ?  "  said  the  horse.  "  Were  you  not 
drawing  after  you  a  burden  of  rich  delicacies  that 
scented  the  air  as  you  passed?" 

"  True,  I  was,"  replied  the  cob,  "  but  not  for  my 
own  benefit.  The  most  that  I  have  to  do  with  beans 
is  to  carry  them  for  the  use  of  others  :  it  is  seldom  T 
get  a  taste  myself." 

"Ah,"  said  Teddy  to  the  old  horse,  as  the  cob's 
master  drove  him  off  at  a  smart  trot,  "  how  little  we 


THE     DONKEY     PHILOSOPHER.  89 

know  of  the  truth  of  things !  I  have  often  envied 
my  cousin  Jack,  that  draws  a  cart  full  of  delicious 
vegetables  along  this  road  every  Saturday;  but  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  he  would  tell  the  same  story. 
No  one  can  eat  more  than  enough ;  and,  although  it 
looks  fine  to  have  so  much  substance  tacked  to  you, 
I  dare  say  in  most  cases  where  we  see  it  others  get 
more  good  from  it  than  he  to  whom  it  seems  to  be- 
long." 

So  he  buried  his  nose  contentedly  in  a  bunch  of 
nettles;  while  the  old  horse  stood  yet  in  a  melan- 
choly attitude,  trying  to  catch  the  last  whiff  of  his 
lamented  beans,  of  which  even  the  empty  cart  had 
left  a  grateful  odor. 


90  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

A  WORD  TO  THE  CURIOUS. 

"  WHAT  are  the  bells  ringing  for  ?  "  said  the  young 
colt,  standing  with  his  ears  pricked  up,  staring  eyes, 
and  distended  nostrils,  and  his  mane  and  tail  flying 
about  in  great  agitation.  "Mother,  what  are  the 
bells  ringing  for?" 

"  How  should  I  know  ?  "  said  the  mare. 

But  the  colt  took  a  gallop  half  round  the  field, 
and  strained  his  neck  to  look  over  the  fence  into  the 
road,  where  a  cart  was  loading  with  soil. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  what  the  bells  are  ringing  for  ?  " 
he  said  to  the  fore-horse,  whose  nose  was  in  his  bag, 
from  which  he  did  not  raise  it  to  give  any  answer. 

"  Rude ! "  said  the  colt,  and  applied  to  the  one  be- 
hind him. 

But  the  one  behind  was  very  deaf,  and  looked 
sleepily  on  the  ground. 

Away  went  the  colt  to  another  part  of  the  fence, 
and  saw  a  team  coming. 

"Do  you  know,"  he  asked  breathlessly  of  the 
whole  party  at  once,  "  why  the  bells  are  ringing  ?  " 


A    WORD    TO    THE    CURIOUS.  91 

Supposing  that  he  meant  the  bells  on  their  collars, 
they  merely  shook  them  a  little  more  by  way  of  an- 
swer, and  passed  on. 

"  What  insufferably  dull  animals ! "  said  the  colt, 
and  galloped  off  harder  than  ever,  till  he  came  to 
the  hedge  that  separated  the  meadow  he  was  in  from 
the  vicar's  orchard,  in  which  the  vicar's  horse  was 
grazing. 

"  Now  I  shall  have  it,"  thought  he.  "  This  is  none 
of  your  stupid,  low-bred  creatures,  but  high-born  and 
well-mannered,  and  sure  to  know  all  about  it." 

"  Pray,  sir,  may  I  trouble  you  to  inform  me,"  he 
said,  with  much  excitement,  "  why  the  bells  ring  ?  " 

The  vicar's  horse  with  great  gravity  lifted  up  his 
head,  and  said,  "  Do  you  particularly  wish  to  know  ?  " 

"  I  do,  indeed,"  said  the  colt. 

"You  won't  mention  it  to  anybody?"  said  the 
horse. 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  the  colt  eagerly. 

"  Well,  then,  it's  because  the  men  pull  the  ropes." 

"But,"   said   the   colt,   rather   staggered    at   this, 
"may  I  ask,  sir,  why  they  pull  the  ropes?" 
I 


92  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Ah,"  said  the  horse,  "  now  you  go  beyond  me ! 
I've  told  you  all  I  know,  and  what's  enough  for  me 
might  be  enough  for  you.  If  you'll  take  my  advice, 
as  a  rule,  never  trouble  your  head  about  things  that 
don't  concern  you.  You'll  save  yourself  an  immense 
deal  of  trouble,  and  your  friends  too."  '  • 


THE  WORLD   CAN  GO   ON  WITHOUT  US. 

A  BRANCH,  broken  from  the  tree  by  the  tempest, 
rode  on  the  rapid  current  of  the  swollen  stream. 

"  See  how  I  lead  the  waters ! "  he  cried  to  the 
banks.  "  See  how  I  command  and  carry  the  stream 
with  me  ! "  he  cried  again. 

A  jutting  rocky  ridge,  over  which  the  torrent 
dashed,  caught  the  branch,  and  kept  it  shattered  and 
imprisoned  while  the  waters  flowed  on  and  on. 

"AlasJ"  cried  the  branch,  "how  can  you  hold  me 
thus?  Who  will  govern  the  stream?  How  will  it 
prosper  without  my  guidance?" 


THE    FURNACE    FOR    GOLD.  93 

"  Ask  the  banks,"  said  the  rocky  ledge.  And  the 
banks  answered, — 

"  Many,  like  you,  have  been  carried  by  the  stream, 
fancying  that  they  carried  it.  And,  as  to  the  loss 
you  will  be  to  the  waters,  don't  be  uneasy.  You  are 
already  forgotten,  as  those  are  who  came  before  you, 
and  as  those  will  soon  be  who  may  follow." 


THE  FURNACE  FOR  GOLD. 

THE  ore  lay  in  the  goldsmith's  shop,  rude  and  un- 
refined. How  the  costly  vessels,  pure  and  polished, 
glittered  before  it ! 

"  Ah,  that  I  were  such  as  you ! "  cried  the  ore.  "  I 
am  gold,  even  as  you  are  ;  but  where  is  my  beauty  ? 
where  is  my  glory  ?  " 

"  Wait  awhile,"  said  the  shining  vessels :  "  your 
time  will  come.  But,  if  you  would  really  be  as  we 
are,  —  a  lot  to  which  you  are  destined,  —  remember 
not  to  flinch  from  the  process  that  awaits  you." 

So  the  ore  was  cast  into  the  furnace,  and  it 
mourned  and  bewailed  the  fierceness  of  the  flame. 


94  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"You  were  not  satisfied  when  buried  in  natural 
dross :  you  are  not  satisfied  now,  while  being  forced 
to  part  from  it,"  said  the  shining  vessels.  "  But 
when  you  come  forth  from  that  furnace,  without 
blemish,  ready  to  be  wrought  into  a  king's  crown, 
and  take  your  place  by  us,  you  will  forget  the  flame 
that  scorched  and  purified  you,  and  love  the  refiner, 
who  loved  you  too  well  to  keep  you  in  the  furnace 
one  moment  less  than  was  necessary." 


TRIFLES!  TRIFLES!!  TRIFLES!!! 

"  DON'T,"  said  the  pony  to  the  flies ;  and  he  shook 
his  head  and  lashed  his  tail  about,  and  away  they  all    ' 
.flew. 

"  Don't,  I  say,"  he  cried  again,  moving  to  another 
place,  where  he  hoped  he  should  lose  them.  And  so 
he  did  for  a  minute  or  two,  but  no  longer.  There 
they  were,  —  in  his  eyes,  on  his  nose,  at  his  ears,  and 
all  over  him. 

If  he   could  have   eaten  them  all  he  would,  or 


TRIFLES!      TRIFLES!!     TRIFLES!!!  95 

kicked  them  into  the  next  county  he  would,  or  gal- 
loped them  out  of  the  world  he  would ;  but  there 
was  no  doing  any  thing  with  them.  As  he  moved, 
they  moved ;  and,  every  time  he  attempted  to  graze, 
they  settled  themselves  on  him,  or  buzzed  in  a  cloud 
round  his  head  as  regularly  as  if  they  had  come  by 
invitation. 

"  Oh,  dear ! "  he  sighed  at  last,  "  what  is  to  be 
done?  I  can  bear  my  master's  whip  and  spur;  I 
can  stand  being  half-worked  to  death  over  the  coun- 
try, and  with  the  heavy  cart,  —  those  are  evils  I 
make  up  my  mind  to ;  and  if  that  yelping  cur  comes 
behind  me  I  can  give  him  a  reception  that  sends  him 
flying;  but  as  to  these  torments,  contemptible  as 
they  are, — too  small  to  be  met  effectually, — I  verily 
believe  they'll  be  the  death  of  me ! " 

Ah !  so  is  it  in  human  life  as  in  pony  life.  Great 
trials  can  be  often  borne,  when  petty  annoyances,  by 
their  number  and  pertinacity,  vex  and  wear  the  soul. 


96  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

NO  ROOM   FOR  PRIDE. 

"A  NICE  pass  we're  come  to!"  exclaimed  a  bundle 
of  brushwood  to  some  fine  tree-tops  that  were  lying 
ready  to  be  carted  for  fire-wood.  The  tree-tops  quiv- 
ered their  fading  leaves  with  contemptuous  indigna- 
tion, but  did  not  deign  a  reply. 

"  Those  were  the  days,"  said  the  brushwood  again, 
"  when  we  were  so  gay  and  green.  You  gave  a  fine 
shade  then ;  and  as  for  us,  my  friends  the  thorns, 
black  and  white,  made  the  hedges  like  a  garden,  and 
the  bright  gold  blossoms  of  us  furze -bushes  were 
something  to  see.  Ah,  those  were  the  days!  but 
we  must  make  the  best  of  it.  They've  had  us  in  our 
summer  pride,  and  now  they  have  got  to  admire  us 
in  a  blaze,  as  they  sit  round  their  fires." 

More  and  more  the  leaves  of  the  tree-tops  quiv- 
ered ;  and  an  ash,  in  pity  to  both  parties,  thus  tried 
first  to  silenceythe  low-born  loquacious  furze :  — 

"  Friends,  our  union  in  fate  should  make  us  one  in 
sympathy.  You,  like  ourselves,  have  rejoiced  in  life 
and  freedom,  —  like  us  you  are  condemned  to  the 


OLD    DOGS    AND    YOUNG.  97 

flames ;  but  as  our  beauty  and  dignity  in  life  differed, 
so  will  differ  the  last  scenes  of  our  existence.  You 
will  but  crackle  under  a  pot,  while  we  shall  sustain  a 
clear  and  steady  flame." 

Then,  addressing  his  unduly  sensitive  companions, 
he  added,  "Nevertheless  forget  not  that  of  both  of 
us  only  ashes  will  remain ! " 


OLD  DOGS  AND  YOUNG. 

"  WHAT  have  they  brought  in  ? "  asked  the  old  cat 
of  Tip,  the  worn-out  terrier,  who  had  just  been  hi 
the  yard  to  see  the  game-bags  emptied. 

Tip,  not  observing  Forest  and  Bluff,  two  setters, 
following  him,  took  his  favorite  place  before  the 
kitchen-fire,  and,  stretching  out  his  fore-legs,  laid  his 
nose  on  his  paws,  and  said,  contemptuously,  "  Miser- 
able sport,  hardly  worth  going  out  forj" 

"  Such  large  bags  as  we  used  to  bring  in  ! "  he  con- 
tinued: "that  was  something  like  sport.  Thought 
nothing  of  a  dozen  hares  and  rabbits,  —  scores  of 


98  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

'em,  —  and  pheasants,  till  we  were  fairly  tired  of 
picking  'em  up." 

"  Ah ! "  said  the  cat,  who  was  nearly  blind,  and 
almost  asleep, "  our  days  were  different  from  these. 
I  was  telling  the  gray  kitten's  mother  yesterday, 
that,  before  I  was  of  her  age,  I  had  caught  as  many 
rats  as  she  had  mice." 

But  Tip  was  not  interested  in  the  degeneracy  of 
breeds  in  cats.  He  went  on  still  more  oratorically 
on  the  lamentable  change  that  had  taken  place 
among  dogs,  and  describing  his  own  prowess  in  his 
day.  Forest  and  Bluff  listened  quietly. 

"Do  but  hear  him,"  at  last  Bluff  said:  "now, 
wouldn't  you  believe  he  thinks  there  is  not  a  dog 
left  worth  following  a  gun?" 

"  Perhaps,  Mr.  Tip,"  said  Forest,  "  you  carried  off 
so  much  game  in  your  time,  that  you  thinned  the 
country,  and  left  none  for  us." 

Tip  looked  disconcerted  at  this  discovery  of  hav- 
ing had  more  auditors  of  his  boast  than  he  had  reck- 
oned on,  and,  dropping  his  eyelids,  pretended  to  be 
asleep. 


OLD    DOGS    AND    YOUNG.  99 

".Never  heed  him ! "  said  Bluff  with  a  sly  glance, 
for  he  knew  he  was  shamming :  "  it's  a  way  old  dogs 
have  got  of  fancying  there  must  be  an  end  of  good 
sport  now  they  are  past  it.  They  see  double  all  the 
success  they  ever  had,  and  quite  forget  that  they 
missed  at  any  time.  Poor  old  dog!  we  must  mind 
and  not  make  the. same  mistake,  Forest,  when  we  are 
in  Tip's  condition." 

Whether  it  was  the  fire  that  was  too  hot,  or  the 
reflections  of  his  two  reprovers,  somehow  Tip  found 
it  more  pleasant  to  change  his  place ;  and  it  was  ob- 
served that,  after  that  time,  he  looked  modest  when 
the  bags  were  emptied,  and  was  silent  about  the 
"  doings  of  his  day." 


100 


ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


DOCTORS  SELDOM  LIKE  THEIR  OWN  PHYSIC. 

PADDLE,  my  lady's  lap-dog,  and  Tom,  her  favorite 
cat,  had  long  entertained  feelings  of  jealousy  and 
envy  toward  each  other ;  but  at  last  they  made  it 
up,  and  agreed  to  be  friends.  Instead  of  snapping 
at  Tom  to  make  him  go  farther  from  the  fire,  that 
he  might  have  the  very  front,  Paddle  would  merely 
nudge  him  gently  along,  looking  amiably  at  him  at 


DOCTORS    SELDOM    LIKE    THEIR    OWN    PHYSIC.  101 

the  same  time ;  and  Tom,  though  he  wouldn't  give 
way  an  inch  further  than  he  was  obliged,  made  no 
warlike  demonstrations,  such  as  putting  up  his  back 
and  swelling  his  tail. 

"I  think,  dear  friend,"  said  Paddle  one  day  (not 
being  yet  quite  satisfied  with  the  deference  paid  to 
him  by  his  companion),  "  we  fail  in  showing  the  real- 
ity of  our  regard  for  each  other  in  one  respect." 

"What  is  that?"  asked  Tom. 

"We  are  not  candid  with  each  other  as  to  our 
mutual  faults.  Don't  you  think  it  would  greatly 
improve  us  both  if  we  acted  the  part  of  honest  re- 
provers to  each  other?" 

"  I  don't  know  but  what  it  might,"  said  Tom. 

"Be  assured  of  it,"  said  Paddle;  "and,  that  we 
may  no  longer  neglect  one  of  the  most  sacred  duties 
of  friendship,  let  us  begin  this  very  day." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  Tom ;  "  and,  that  being 
the  case,  do  you  know  I've  often  thought  that  when 
you" — 

"  Hush ! "  said  Paddle :  "  every  thing  in  order. 
You  know,  dear,  I  am  older  than  you.  I  may  say  I 


102  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

remember  you  a  kitten  ;  so  let  me  give  you  the  ben- 
efit of  my  observations  first." 

«  Very  well,"  said  Tom :  " I'm  ready." 

"Well,  then.  First,  dear,"  said  Paddle,  "you  are 
too  fond  of  the  front  of  the  fire,  and  sit  in  such  a 
way  before  it  that  I  am  obliged  to  have  recourse  to 
many  gentle  hints  before  I  can  induce  you  to  move. 
In  the  next  place,  dear,  when  we  go  to  dinner,  you 
invariably  try  to  take  the  nicest  pieces,  which  I  look 
upon  as  indelicate.  In  the  third  place  "  — 

"  When  will  my  turn  be  ? "  interrupted  Tom. 

"Stop!"  said  Paddle:  "I  haven't  done;"  and  he 
went  on  to  enumerate  several  other  infirmities  in 
Tom's  character,  the  exhibition  of  which  he  consid- 
ered in  some  way  to  affect  his  own  comfort. 

Tom,  with  some  effort,  contrived  to  wait  it  all  out, 
and  then  asked,  «  Pray,  is  that  all  ?  " 

"  All  I  can  think  of  at  present,"  said  Paddle. 

"Then,"  said  Tom,  drawing  himself  up,  "in  the 
first  place"  — 

"Thank  you,"  said  Paddle,  interrupting  him; 
"  you  must  excuse  my  staying  now.  I  hope  you'll 


LINKS    IN     THE     CHAIN.  103 

improve  upon  what  I've  said  to  you;  but  I  have 
an  engagement,  and  can  not  stop  any  longer  this 
time." 


LINKS  IN  THE  CHAIN. 

THE  blast  that  drove  the  storm-cloud  across  the 
heavens  shook  the  oak ;  and  the  acorn-cup,  loosened 
from  its  fruit,  fell  on  the  pathway. 

The  cloud  burst ;  a  raindrop  filled  the  acorn-cup. 

A  robin,  wearied  by  the  sultry  heat  of  an  autumn 
day,  and  troubled  by  the  fury  of  the  storm,  hopped 
on  the  path  when  all  was  calm,  and  drank  of  the 
raindrop.  Refreshed  and  gladdened,  he  flew  to  his 
accustomed  place  in  the  ivy  that  overhung  the  poet's 
window,  and  there  he  trilled  his  sweetest,  happiest 
song. 

The  poet  heard,  and,  rising  from  his  reverie,  wrote 
a  chant  of  grateful  rejoicing.  The  chant  went  forth 
into  the  world,  and  entered  the  house  of  sorrow,  and 
uttered  its  heart-stirring  accents  by  the  couch  of 


104  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

sickness.  The  sorrowful  were  comforted,  the  sick 
were  cheered. 

Many  voices  praised  the  poet.  He  said,  "The 
chant  was  inspired  by  the  robin's  song." 

"  I  had  not  sung  so  well,  if  I  had  not  drunk  of  the 
raindrop,"  said  the  robin. 

"I  should  have  sunk  into  the  earth,  had  not  the 
acorn-cup  received  me,"  said  the  raindrop. 

"  I  had  not  been  there  to  receive  you,  but  for  the 
angry  blast,"  said  the  acorn-cup. 

And  so  they  that  were  comforted  praised  the 
blast ;  but  the  blast  replied,  "  Praise  Him  at  whose 
word  the  stormy  wind  ariseth,  and  who  from  dark- 
ness can  bring  light ;  making  his  mercies  oftentimes 
to  pass  through  unseen,  unknown,  and  unsuspected 
channels,  and  bringing  in  due  time,  by  his  own  way, 
the  grateful  chant  from  the  angry  storm-cloud." 


WHERE    THE    FAULT    LIES.  105 


WHERE  THE  FAULT  LIES. 

"  GREAT  brother,"  said  the  moon  to  the  sun,  "  why 
is  it  that,  while  you  never  hide  your  face  from  me, 
our  poor  sister,  the  earth,  so  often  pines  in  dimness 
and  obscurity?" 

"  Little  sister,"  replied  the  sun,  "  the  fault  is  not  in 
me.  You  always  behold  me  as  I  am,  and  rejoice  in 
my  light;  but  she  often  covers  herself  with  thick 
clouds,  which  even  /  can  not  effectually  pierce :  and, 
while  she  mourns  my  absence,  she  ought  to  know  that 
I  am  ever  near,  and  wait  only  for  her  clouds  to  pass 
that  I  may  reveal  myself." 


106  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


A  NEW  LIGHT   ON  THINGS. 

"HOLLOA!  young  fellow,"  said  the  cock  to  the 
shepherd's  dog,  eying  him  very  fiercely  as  he  ran 
by:  "I  have  a  word  to  say  to  you." 

"  Let  us  have  it,"  said  Shag :  "  I'm  in  a  hurry." 

"  I  wish  to  remark,"  said  the  cock,  "  that  there  has 
been  a  great  mistake  made  in  the  stackyard;  and 
you  can  tell  your  master  that  he  and  the  other  men, 
instead  of  turning  the  corn-end  of  the  sheaves  into 
the  stack,  and  leaving  the  stubbles  outside,  should 
have  done  it  the  other  way.  How  are  my  hens  and 
I,  do  you  think,  to  get  at  the  grain,  under  the  circum- 
stances?" 

«  Any  thing  else  ?  "  asked  Shag. 

The  cock  was  offended,  and  shook  his  wattles,  but 
answered,  "  Yes :  I  have  also  to  remark,"  — 

"  Never  mind,  never  mind,"  said  Shag,  interrupting 
him:  "you're  under  a  general  mistake,  I  see,  and 
one  answer  will  do  for  all  your  objections.  You 
fancy  that  farmyards  were  made  for  fowls ;  but  the 


LIVE    AND    LET    LIVE.  107 

truth  is,  that  fowls  were  made  for  farmyards:  get 
that  into  your  head,  and  you  won't  meddle  with  ar- 
rangements which  you  can't  understand,  and  in  which 
you  and  your  affairs  are  not  taken  into  account." 


LIVE   AND   LET  LIVE. 

"LooK  at  this  brushwood,  this  insufferable  crowd 
of  young  things  about  us !  "  said  an  angry  oak  to  an 
aged  beech. 

"Ah,  my  lord,"  said  the  beech  respectfully,  "the 
young  things  like  the  protection  of  our  spreading 
branches;  and,  indeed,  the  place  is  better  than  if 
there  were  nothing  here  but  our  massive  trunks  and 
heavy  foliage :  it  is  pleasant  to  see  their  tender 
forms  bow  and  bend  in  the  breeze." 

"  Pshaw ! "  replied  the  oak :  "  how  can  you  tell 
that  the  place  is  better  than  it  was  before  they 
came  ?  You  were  but  a  nut  when  I  had  the  place  to 
myself,  and  knew  nothing." 

"  True,"  said  the  beech ;  "  and,  remembering  what 


108  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

I  sprang  from,  I  can  not  feel  aggrieved  at  those  who, 
from  equally  small  beginnings,  are  trying  to  emulate 
my  growth.  It  is  too  long  since  your  lordship  was 
an  acorn  for  you  to  have  the  same  sympathizing 
memories,  perhaps,  or  you  would  surely  feel  as  I  do." 


GIVE  AND  TAKE. 

"  HEIGHO  ! "  sighed  a  weary  pack-horse  as  he 
stretched  himself  for  a  few  minutes  on  the  ground 
in  a  sunny  pasture. 

"  Too  tired  to  eat  ?  "  asked  the  dun  cow  as  she  sat 
chewing  the  cud, 

"Rather  overdone,  ma'am;  but  a  bite  or  two  of 
this  excellent  pasture  will  soon  restore  me,"  said  the 
pack-horse  sleepily. 

"Ah!  just  give  you  a  little  strength,  that  you 
may  be  able  to  work  for  them  again,  —  that's  the 
way !  —  such  injustice  and  tyranny  reign  in  the 
world ! " 

The  pack-horse  heard  the  words  in  his  doze  of  a 


GIVE    AND    TAKE.  109 


minute  or  two ;  and,  when  he  had  recovered  himself 
sufficiently  to  rise  and  eat,  he  answered  after  a  few 
mouthfuls :  "  Oppression,  ma'am,  did  you  say  ?  tyr- 
anny ?  Well,  if  they  reign  in  the  world,  it  must  be 
a  bad  place ;  so  I  shall  say  this  is  out  of  the  world, 
being  an  uncommonly  good  one." 

"  Good !  for  what  ?  just  to  serve  the  purposes  of 
those  who  rule  over  us.  Here  are  you,  worn  to 
death,  every  sinew  strained,  your  bones  aching  from 
work  and  blows,  and  not  too  well  covered  with  flesh  : 
do  you  suppose  that  you  would  have  any  food,  any 
admission  to  this  pasture,  if  it  were  not  from  a  selfish 
regard  to  interest  in  your  cruel  master?  And  look 
at  me :  I  am  obliged  to  yield  my  milk  without  '  by 
your  leave  or  with  your  leave,'  and  no  thanks  for  it. 
Of  course,  it  is  simply  because  it  makes  my  milk 
good  that  I  am  put  in  here ;  so  I  owe  them  nothing 
for  that." 

"  I  suppose,  ma'am,  you  don't  depend  on  this  sweet 
grass  in  the  winter  ?  What  a  pity  it  isn't  as  rich  and 
full  all  the  year  round  as  it  is  now !  "  said  the  pack- 
horse. 


110  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  No :  we  are  housed  at  night  then,  and  have  tur- 
nips and  hay,  and  a  cabbage  or  two,"  said  Dun. 
"  They  know  better  than  not  to  take  care  of  us  win- 
ter and  summer." 

"Well,  ma'am,  I  hope,  for  my  master's  sake,  I  am  as 
welcome  to  the  good  cheer  he  has  just  given  me,  and 
the  tolerable  quarters  and  accommodation  I  gener- 
ally enjoy,  as  he  is  to  my  services ;  which  I  consider 
to  be  duly  his,  and  which  I  feel  invigorated  to  ren- 
der cheerfully  to  him  after  this  rest  and  refreshment. 
If  yours  gives  to  you  with  no  better  will  than  you 
give  to  him,  he  must  suffer  much  from  spleen ;  and  I 
am  sorry  for  him.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  obliga- 
tions on  both  sides  are  pretty  equal :  they  don't  feed 
us  out  of  pure  philanthropy,  and  certainly  we  don't 
serve  them  for  nothing." 


NOT    QUITE    SO    BAD    AS    REPORTED.  Ill 

NOT  QUITE  SO  BAD  AS  REPORTED.. 

"  CUCKOO  !  cuckoo  ! "  said  the  gray-bird  as  she 
rested  from  her  weary  flight  on  a  budding  elm  one 
bright,  soft  April  day. 

"  Would  you  have  believed  it  ?  "  said  a  staid-look- 
ing thrush,  lifting  her  head  from  her  nest  where  she 
was  feeding  her  young  ones. 

" Believe  any  thing  of  her"  said  the  blackbird. 

"  Cuckoo !  cuckoo ! "  cried  the  gray-bird,  flapping 
her  wings  and  tail  among  the  boughs  of  the  tree  as 
she  hunted  for  her  prey. 

"  Oh,  what  times  these  are,  when  such-  audacious 
impudence  is  to  insult  the  public  with  impunity!" 
said  a  blue-tit. 

"  Take  care  of  your  nests ! "  chirped  a  hedge-spar- 
row: "she  was  so  civil  as  to  leave  an  egg  in  mine 
last  year,  and  I  had  as  much  work  to  do  to  feed  that 
young  one  as  my  own  brood  of  six  gave  me." 

"  Cuckoo !  cuckoo ! "  cried  the  gray-bird  as  she 
flew  hurriedly  and  heavily  from  tree  to  tree,  with 
curious  small  birds  in  her  train. 


112  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

Whereupon  there  arose  a  universal  twitter  among 
the  feathered  tribes ;  and  cock-robin,  who  was  much 
offended  by  her  inelegant  flight  and  appearance, 
voted  asking  the  owl  for  his  judgment  as  to  how  she 
was  to  be  got  rid  of,  and  prevented  from  ever  again 
obtruding  herself  into  their  company. 

The  owl  was  fast  asleep ;  but  the  chattering  of  the 
sparrows  and  chirping  of  the  tits,  loudest  in  the  out- 
cry, awoke  him.  He  half  opened  one  eye. 

"  One  at  a  time,  friends,"  he  said,  nearly  closing  it 
again  as  the  din  increased.  "I  really  can  not  pre- 
tend to  understand  more  than  one  at  a  time." 

So  the  thrush,  the  blackbird,  the  tit,  the  sparrow, 
and  various  others,  laid  their  complaints  before  him 
in  succession.  He  blinked  solemnly  as  he  listened, 
and,  when  they  had  finished,  said, — 

"Friends,  having  been  somewhat  indecorously 
disturbed  in  my  meditations  at  this  my  usual  hour  of 
rest,  I  am  hardly  in  a  capacity  to  adjudge  your 
cause;  but  you  shall  have  the  best  decision  I  can 
give. 

"  As  I  make  out  from  the  evidence,  the  cuckoo  is 


NOT    QUITE    SO    BAD    AS    REPORTED.  113 

accused  of  neglect  of  home-duties ;  of  thieving  in 
taking  house-room  to  herself  without  paying  for  it ; 
of  uselessness  and  idleness ;  of  thrusting  her  young 
on  the  care  of  others  for  support ;  and  of  impudence 
in  the  midst  of  all  her  misdemeanors.  In  regard  of 
home-duties,  Mrs.  Thrush,  you  are  a  pattern  of  moth- 
ers, and,  respecting  you  as  such,  let  me  remind  you, 
that,  although  she  does  not  take  care  of  her  young  in 
person,  she  puts  them  out  to  good  nurses.  As  to 
thieving,  I  must  say  that  Mr.  Tit,  who  was  first  wit- 
ness on  this  head,  had  his  mouth  so  full  of  peas  that 
he  could  hardly  give  evidence.  For  her  uselessness, 
I  have  this  much  to  say  to  you  all,  I  heard  the 
farmer  tell  his  bailiff  that  he  was  welcome  to  shoot 
all  and  any  of  you  (excepting  the  thrush,  who  lives 
upon  snails  and  such  things),  but  not  to  touch  a 
feather  of  a  cuckoo ;  for  she  clears  the  trees  of  cater- 
pillars and  their  eggs  so  as  to  save  half  the  young 
things  that  are  coming  up  from  being  devoured.  As 
to  thrusting  her  young  on  the  public  for  support,  I 
appeal  to  you  all,  if,  while  she  is  working  for  the 
public,  she  hasn't  a  right  to  that  public's  assistance. 


114  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

As  to  beauty  and  elegance,  there  are  so  many  opin- 
ions upon  that  subject,  that  I  must  decline  answering 
to  the  objection;  and,  as  to  impudence"  (and  here 
he  opened  both  his  eyes,  and  looked  at  the  sparrows), 
"I  confess  that  I  shall  cease  to  be  surprised  at  any 
thing,  when  I  hear  a  charge  like  that  brought  by 
such  proverbial  offenders." 

The  exertion  of  delivering  this  harangue  sent  the 
owl  fast  asleep  again ;  and  as  the  birds,  looking  very 
foolish  at  one  another,  were  dispersing  to  their  sev- 
eral quarters,  they  heard  the  gray -bird  crying, 
"  Cuckoo  !  cuckoo ! "  They  all  felt  a  little  ashamed 
of  the  bitterness  of  their  previous  hatred  of  one  for 
whom  so  much  good  could  be  said. 


MAKE    THE    BEST     OF    IT.  115 


MAKE  THE  BEST  OF  IT. 

A  HEDGEHOG  and  a  tortoise  lived  together  on  ami- 
cable terms  in  a  garden.  One  day  the  tortoise  found 
the  hedgehog  very  disconsolate  under  a  hedge. 

u What's  the  matter?"  he  cried:  "every  thing  is 
lively  and  bright ;  it  is  warm  enough  even  for  me  ; 
I've  taken  the  trouble  to  walk  all  across  the  path  on 
purpose  to  know  why  you  sit  sluggishly  here  in  the 
shade,  instead  of  rejoicing  in  this  glorious  sunshine." 

The  hedgehog  was  for  some  time  ashamed  to  tell ; 
at  last  he  confessed  that  he  was  jealous.  "  There  is 
not  a  creature/'  he  said,  "  that  is  without  friends  but 
myself.  The  cat,  who  kills  the  birds  and  destroys  the 
game,  is  petted  and  caressed.  The  dog,  who,  while 
he  guards  the  sheep,  often  kills  the  lambs,  is  made 
one  of  the  family.  There's  not  a  bird  nor  a  beast 
that  I  see  around  who  doesn't  receive  some  kind  of 
affection  or  admiration,  however  useless,  or  even  mis- 
chievous it  may  be ;  but  I,  who  am  perfectly  harm- 
less, and  most  diligent  in  discharging  the  duties  for 
which  I  am  placed  here,  —  I,  against  whom  no  single 


116  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

charge  can  be  laid,  am  looked  on  with  disgust,  or 
avoided." 

"And  you  don't  know  why?"  said  the  tortoise. 

"  No  :  do  you  ?  "  said  the  hedgehog. 

"  Yes  :  I  do,"  said  the  tortoise.  "  All  that  you  say 
with  regard  to  your  moral  character  is  true ;  but,  if 
you  are  aware  of  it,  you  have  at  least  forgotten,  that 
you  are  covered  with  prickles,  which,  though  they 
don't  interfere  with  your  respectability,  make  you 
disagreeable  company  to  all  but  such  as  I,  who,  being 
thick-skinned,  feel  no  inconvenience  from  them.  Be 
content,  my  friend,  to  live  quietly  and  do  your  work 
unnoticed,  remembering  that,  if  your  prickles  keep 
you  from  the  caresses  received  by  pets,  they  also 
save  you  from  the  caprices  which  they  often  suffer. 
Dogs  are  hanged,  and  cats  are  drowned;  but  who 
ever  heard  of  any  but  a  hungry  gypsy  killing  a 
hedgehog  ?  " 


PREACHING    AND     PRACTICING.  117 


PREACHING  AND  PRACTICING. 

"  WELL  !  before  I'd  put  up  with  that !  "  said  Crum- 
mie, the  cow,  as  she  watched  the  boy  putting  a  col- 
lar on  Dobbin  the  cart-horse,  that  was  about  to  be 
taken  to  plow.  "  The  idea  of  a  great  creature  like 
you  submitting  to  a  little  fellow  like  that, — it's  quite 
contemptible ! " 

Quietly  said  the  cart-horse,  "  He  is  very  small, 
but  very  knowing ;  and  I  am  not  ashamed  of  being 
led  and  managed  by  him." 

"  A  poor  spirit  you  must  have,  then,"  said  Crum- 
mie, jeeringly :  "why,  you  might  send  him  across  the 
field  with  one  kick."  She  had  hardly  finished  when 
Rover  the  dog  came  up  to  call  the  cow  to  milking. 
Finding  Crummie  inattentive,  he  ran  barking  and 
snapping  at  her  legs. 

"  Oh,  dear ! "  cried  Crummie,  and  took  to  her  heels, 
nearly  upsetting  Dobbin,  who  had  just  time  to  say, 
as  she  passed  in  her  clumsy  run,  "  Ha,  ha !  why 
don't  you  kick  him  across  the  field  ?  I'm  sure  you're 
big  enough  ;  but  that's  the  way  with  your  wise  folk, 


118  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

who  can  settle  the  nation,  they  think,  but  give  way 
to  the  smallest  difficulty  that  they  happen  to  meet. 
She  abused  me  for  submitting  to  a  superior  nature, 
and  yet  runs  before  a  yelping  cur  not  a  third  of  her 
size,  and  no  better  any  way." 


ABOVE  THE  CLOUD. 

"MOTHER,  mother!"  cried  the  young  larks  in  great 
distress.  "  Look  at  father ;  oh !  he  has  gone  now  into 
that  cloud,  and  we  have  lost  him.  0  mother !  why 
did  he  fly  so  high  ?  why  did  he  let  the  cloud  swallow 
him  up  ?  " 

"  Foolish  children ! "  answered  the  mother-bird,  "  he 
is  safe  enough ;  I  can  hear  him  singing  even  now ; 
that  cloud  which  looks  so  gloomy  to  you  is  dark 
only  on  the  under  side ;  he  is  above  it,  and  sees  a 
brighter,  bluer  sky  than  we  do  who  are  down  here. 
Be  content :  he  will  return  to  us  happier  and  wiser 
than  he  left  us,  and  tell  us,  that,  if  he  had  not  pierced 
that  darkness,  he  would  never  have  believed  how 
much  glory  and  beauty  were  above  it." 


THE  OWL  THAT  WROTE  A  BOOK.      119 


THE  OWL  THAT  WROTE  A  BOOK. 

THE  owl  wrote  a  book  to  prove  that  the  sun  was 
not  full  of  light ;  that  the  moon  was  in  reality  much 
more  luminous;  that  past  ages  had  been  in  a  mis- 
take about  it,  and  the  world  was  quite  in  the  dark 
on  the  subject. 

"What  a  wonderful  book!"  cried  all  the  night- 
birds,  "  and  it  must  be  right :  our  lady,  the  owl,  hav- 
ing such  very  large  eyes,  of  course  she  can  see 
through  all  the  mists  of  ignorance." 

"Very   true,"  cried   the  bats:    "she  is  right,   no 


120  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

doubt.  As  for  us,  as  we  can  not  see  a  blink,  the 
moon  and  the  sun  are  alike  to  us ;  and,  for  any  thing 
we  know,  there  is  no  light  in  either :  so  we  go  over 
in  a  body  to  her  opinion." 

And  the  matter  was  buzzed  about  till  the  eagle 
heard  of  it.  He  called  the  birds  around  him,  and, 
looking  down  on  them  from  his  rocky  throne,  spoke 
thus :  — 

"  Children  of  the  light  and  of  the  day,  beware  of 
night-birds  !  Their  eyes  may  be  large,  but  they  are 
so  formed  they  can  not  receive  the  light,  and  what 
they  can  not  see  they  deny  the  existence  of.  Let 
them  praise  moonlight  in  their  haunts  (they  have 
never  known  any  thing  better) ;  but  let  us  who  love 
the  light,  because  our  eyes  can  bear  it,  give  glory  to 
the  great  Fountain  of  it,  and  make  our  boast  of  the 
sun,  while  we  pity  the  ignorance  of  poor  moon-wor- 
shipers, and  the  sad  lot  of  those  who  live  in  dark- 
ness!" 


HOW  DROVER  GOT  A  DINNER.       121 


HOW  DROVER  GOT  A  DINNER. 

"PRAY,  ma'am,  may  I  inquire  what  affects  you?" 
said  Drover  to  the  black  cat,  that  sat  on  the  step  of 
a  back-kitchen  door.  You  look  melancholy." 

Puss  turned  her  head  away,  and  made  no  answer. 

"  Nay,  ma'am,"  said  Drover,  as  courteously  as  any 
gentleman  of  high  breeding,  "I  ask  pardon  for  in- 
truding ;  but  I  felt  sorry  for  you,  and  thought  'a  little 
sympathy  might  cheer  you." 

Puss  hoped  he  would  go ;  but  seeing  he  stood  still, 
and  was  bent  on  an  answer,  she  turned  half  round, 
and  rather  superciliously  assured  him  she  was  neither 
ill  nor  melancholy,  and  wanted  neither  pity  nor  com- 
pany. 

"  Madam,"  said  Drover  respectfully,  "  allow  me : 
you  are  depressed  in  spirits, — a  state  in  which  a  true 
friend  is  invaluable.  Open  your  heart  to  me :  I  may 
be  so  happy  as  to  help  to  relieve  you." 

"  I  tell  you,"  said  the  black  cat,  "  I  am  not  in  want 
of  a  friend.  I  was  just  going  to  sleep  ,when  you 
came." 


122  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  How  vexatious  ! "  said  Drover :  u  but  that  is  a 
proof  you  are  not  well ;  for  how  could  any  one  with 
an  appetite  go  to  sleep  while  that  beautiful  bone  was 
close  at  hand  ?  " 

"  Bone ! "  said  the  black  cat,  contemptuously  turn- 
ing to  look  at  it :  "I  am  not  so  fond  of  bones." 

"  Not  fond  of  bones !  Well,  that  is  surprising.  I 
thought  no  one  could  resist  a  bone.  As  for  me,  I  can 
only  say  that  (next  to  meat)  they  are  my  favorite 
food ;  and  I  should  esteem  the  owner  of  a  bone  like 
that  a  favorite  of  fortune." 

"  It  may  be  all  well  that  a  half-starved  shepherd's 
dog  should  think  much  of  a  bone*;  but  for  the  favor- 
ite cat  in  an  establishment  like  this  to  be  put  off  with 
one  is,  in  my  opinion,  a  great  slight ;  and,  to  tell  you 
the  truth,  Mr.  Drover,  I  feel  it  very  much." 

"  Well,  ma'am,"  said  Drover,  who  had  now  got  the 
cue  to  her  ill-temper,  "there  is  much  truth  in  your 
remark,  that  circumstances  alter  cases ;  but,  as  to  the 
facts  you  use  to  establish  it,  allow  me  to  say  I  am 
not  half-starved.  There  are  times  when  I  feed  as 
well  as  any  noble  in  the  land." 


HOW    DROVER    GOT    A    DINNER.  123 

The  black  cat  opened  her  ey.es,  and  looked  full  at 
him. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  in  lambing-time  I  often  have  lamb 
for  days  together.  My  master,  too,  frequently  brings 
home  a  dead  sheep;  and  then  I  fare  like  a  prince. 
Just  now  we  are  not  in  our  high  feed ;  but  I  get  bits 
and  scraps  in  sufficiency.  This,  I  should  say,  is  a 
mutton-bone?"  he  said  inquiringly  with  an  affec- 
tionate look  at  it. 

"  I  don't  care  what  it  is,"  said  the  black  cat :  "  our 
cook  is  dining  on  turkey,  and  she  had  no  right  to 
turn  me  out  here  with  this  bone,  while  she  was  en- 
joying herself  in  the  kitchen." 

"A  selfish  trick, indeed,  ma'am,"  said  Drover:  "but 
no  one  is  perfect ;  and,  although  she  has  failed  in  this 
instance,  I  should  say  cook  is  very  good  to  you." 

"  She  does  her  duty :  what  is  she  for  but  to  wait 
on  the  family  ?  " 

"True,  ma'am,"  said  Drover,  who  saw  that  the 
black  cat  was  beginning  to  give  vent  to  some  hidden 
grievance. 

"And  what  if  I  did  just  look  at  the  turkey  when 


124  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

it  was  hanging  ?  Was  I  to  be  cuffed  and  turned  out 
and  made  to  starve  on  a  bone  for  that  ? " 

"  Oh,  sad,  sad !  Most  unjustifiable  severity ! "  said 
Drover ;  "  and  you  only  looked  at  the  turkey  ?  " 

"  Well,  not  much  more :  it  wasn't  my  fault  if  the 
nail  was  loose,  and  it  came  down  at  a  touch." 

"  Oh,  certainly  not.  So  it  came  down ;  of  course 
you  only  touched  it  to  see  if  it  would  come  down  ? " 

"  Exactly  that,"  .said  the  black  cat  with  animation. 

"And  when  it  was  down  ?"  said  Drover,  inquiringly. 

"  Why,  I  merely  tried  the  head  and  neck.  I  as- 
sure you  what  I  took  was  a  mere  trifle." 

"No  doubt,"  said  Drover;  "but  I  wonder  you 
didn't  try  the  breast :  they  say  that  is  the  finest  eat- 
ing." 

"  Yes :  it  is,"  said  the  black  cat,  licking  her  lips  at 
the  remembrance  of  it.  "  I  did  have  a  taste  of  it,  I 
confess ;  but  before  I  had  had  time  for  a  mouthful 
came  cook:  and  really  you  would  have  thought  I 
had  eaten  the  whole  turkey,  she  said  such  things, 
and  actually  hunted  me  out  of  the  larder  with  a  roll- 
ing-pin." 


HOW    DROVER    GOT    A    DINNER.  125 

"Cruel!  cruel!"  said  Drover,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
bone. 

"  She  said, '  Who  was  going  to  eat  things  after  a 
cat?'" 

"  Oh,  what  a  narrow  prejudice ! "  said  Drover. 

"  She  threatend  to  hang  me." 

"It  makes  one's  heart  ache  to  think  of  it,"  said 
Drover. 

"  I  shan't  forget  it,"  said  the  cat. 

"  She  is  but  a  woman,"  said  Drover. 

"Oh,  but  she  might  know  better!  But  I  know 
how  I'll  spite  her,  —  I  won't  eat  her  bones.  I'll  pine 
first ;  and,  if  my  mistress  and  hers  sees  me  thin  and 
ill,  I  know  who  will  be  sorry  for  it." 

"A  very  clever  thought,"  said  Drover  with  a 
quick  glance  at  the  bone.  "  Not  that  I  would  advo- 
cate retaliation;  but,  as  you  observe,  it  might  be 
well  to  teach  cook  how  to  give  way  to  unrighteous 
wrath ;  for,  if  she  had  not  left  the  larder  open,  you 
would  not  have  been  able,  you  see,  ma'am,  to  get  at 
the  turkey  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  black  cat  indignantly. 


126  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

u  And  then  she  had  no  right  to  use  bad  language, 
and  cuff,  and  give  you  a  poor  dinner, — three  punish- 
ments for  what  was  merely  an  indiscretion  commh> 
ted  through  her  inadvertency  in  leaving  the  door 
open." 

u  Oh,  I'll  starve  to  punish  her ! "  said  the  black  cat. 

"  I  certainly  would  not  eat  the  bone,"  said  Drover. 
"  It  would  be  encouraging  her  in  her  unjust  oppres- 
sion." 

"  I  won't,"  said  the  cat. 

"No,  don't,"  said  Drover.  And  then,  with  as  much 
indifference  as  he  could  assume,  he  added,  "  Shall  I 
take  it  away?" 

The  black  cat  looked  demurrmgly. 

"  Just  as  you  please,"  said  Drover :  "  I  thought  it 
would  be  well  for  her  to  see  your  determination  at 
once.  Shall  I  ?  "  —  and  he  put  one  paw  on  the  bone. 
She  did  not  forbid;  and,  satisfied  with  that,  he  seized 
and  ran  off  with  it  at  once  for  fear  she  should 
change  her  mind ;  and  no  sooner  was  he  gone  than 
she  began  to  repent.  Cook  left  her  to  eat  her  bone, 
or  go  without  till  the  next  morning;  and  she  was 


THE  THRUSH  AND  THE  CATERPILLAR.   127 

obliged  to  sup  on  a  mouse.  Drover  kept  out  of  her 
way  for  a  day  or  two;  and  it  was  long  before  she 
saw  him  without  an  uncomfortable  conviction  that 
he  had  got  a  joke  against  her,  and  robbed  her  of  her 
dinner  into  the  bargain. 

Those  who,  under  friendly  guise,  fan  the  flame  of 
anger  or  pride  or  other  temper,  may  be  suspected 
of  doing  so  with  a  bad  and  selfish  motive.  It  was 
only  for  the  bone  that  Drover  descanted  on  the 
wrongs  of  puss  and  the  tyranny  of  the  cook. 


THE  THRUSH  AND  THE  CATERPILLAR. 

"  CRUEL  bird !  barbarous  abuser  of  superior  strength ! 
What !  is  there  not  enough  to  gratify  thee  on  earth  ? 
Its  precious  fruits,  so  sweet,  so  abundant,  are 
they  not  sufficient,  but  thou  must  destroy  life  to  ap- 
pease thine  appetite?  Ah!  I  rejoice,  —  the  lark 
has  risen  beyond  thy  flight.  He  is  hidden  in  yonder 
fleecy  cloud,  and  thou  returnest  baffled,  defeated. 
It  is  well!" 


128  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

And  the  thrush,  who  had  indignantly  watched  the 
hawk  on  its  pursuit,  nestled  more  closely  over  her 
young  brood,  comparing  herself,  greatly  to  her  own 
advantage,  with  the  bird  of  prey. 

"Madam,"  whispered  a  caterpillar  from  behind  a 
leaf,  "  I  beg  to  apologize ;  but  allow  me  to  say  that  I 
am  rejoiced  to  hear  your  new  view  of  things.  You 
breakfasted  this  morning  on  an  intimate  friend  of 
mine,  and  I  have  been  keeping  close  ever  since  for 
fear  you  should  lunch  on  me;  but,  after  what  you 
have  said,  my  apprehensions  must  be  groundless. 
You  will,  I  am  sure,  henceforth  confine  yourself  to 
vegetable  diet." 

"Humph!"  muttered  the  thrush :  "awkward  that; 
it  never  struck  me  that '  people  who  live  in  glass 
houses  should  not  throw  stones.'" 

We  often  learn  the  true  character  of  our  own 
deeds  in  observing  what  is  done  by  others. 


NOT    A    PIN    TO     CHOOSE.  129 


NOT  A  PIN  TO   CHOOSE. 

"  I  WOULDN'T  be  a  fish,"  said  a  gull,  as  he  ducked 
down  for  a  small  fry  that  lay  on  a  well-filled  net  in  a 
boat,  and  carried  it  off  in  his  bill.  "What  with 
sharks  and  such  gentry  in  the  water,  and  nets  and 
birds  out  of  the  water,  I  wonder  there's  a  fish  left ! " 

"  Fetch  down  that  fellow,"  said  the  captain.  Pop ! 
went  the  gun,  down  fell  the  gull;  its  broad  wings 
flapping  on  the  net  in  which  still  lay  the  captives  of 
the  deep. 

"Vain  was  your  boast,  unhappy  friend,"  said  an 
expiring  cod :  "  neither  the  air  nor  sea  can  hide  us 
from  our  doom.  Time  was  when  I  rejoiced  that  I  was 
not  a  bird  to  live  so  near  our  common  enemy,  man, 
as  you  did,  and  said,  'I  wonder  there  is  a  bird  left 
in  the  air.'  But  here  we  both  are,  confessing  by  ex- 
perience that  every  lot  has  its  dangers ;  and,  if  we  are 
free  from  those  that  beset  others,  we  had  better  look 
well  to  those  that  we  are  liable  to,  instead  of  plum- 
ing ourselves  on  our  safety,  if  we  mean  to  preserve 
it." 


130  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

KNOW  YOUR  FRIENDS. 

"On,  here  come  the  swallows!"  said  the  spring- 
flowers  :  a  that  is  delightful ! "  They  smiled  at  one 
another,  and  looked  upward  joyously,  as  the  birds 
wheeled  their  flight  in  the  bright  sky. 

"The  swallows!  The  swallows!"  said  the  little 
streams  and  brooks.  "There's  an  end  of  ice  and 
snow  to  chain  us  and  block  us  up ! "  and  they  prat- 
tled and  babbled,  full  of  frolic,  over  their  stony  beds, 
making  much  of  the  birds  as  they  dipped  in  their 
waters. 

"Why  do  they  ever  leave  us?"  asked  the  flowers 
one  of  another,  bending  their  little  heads  for  a  con- 
ference. "While  they  are  here,  all  is  happy  and 
bright.  Let  us  make  a  plan  to  keep  them  here  all 
the  year  round." 

"  Why  do  they  leave  us  ? "  said  the  brooks  to  the" 
rills,  and  the  rills  to  the  small  streams.  K  No  frost, 
no  snow !  while  they  are  with  us.  We  will  secure 
them,  and  keep  a  year  of  summer.  Consult !  Con- 
sult ! "  and  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  waters. 


HOW    TO     KNOW    A    GOOSE.  131 

Summer  smiled  on  them.  "  Children,"  she  said,  "if 
you  can  lay  a  trap  that  will  imprison  me,  and  stay 
my  departing,  you  may  reckon  safely  on  the  swal- 
lows remaining.  With  me  they  come,  with  me 
they  go.  You  owe  them  to  me,  not  me  to  them." 


HOW  TO   KNOW  A  GOOSE. 

"MOTHER,  mother!"  cried  a  young  rook,  returning 
hurriedly  from  its  first  flight:  "I'm  so  frightened! 
I've  seen  such  a  sight ! " 

K  What  sight,  my  son  ?  "  asked  the  old  rook. 

"Oh!  white  creatures,  screaming  and  running, 
and  straining  their  necks,  and  holding  their  heads 
ever  so  high.  See!  mother,  there  they  go!" 

"Geese,  my  son,  —  merely  geese,"  calmly  replied 
the  parent-bird,  looking  over  the  common.  "  Through 
life,  child,  observe  that  when  you  meet  any  one  who 
makes  a  great  fuss  about  himself,  and  tries  to  lift  his 
head  higher  than  the  rest  of  the  world,  you  may  set 
him  down  at  once  as  a  goose." 


132  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


THE  THREE  COLORS. 

THERE  was  a  feud  :  red  and  blue  and  yellow  stood 
in  open  defiance  each  of  the  other  two. 

"Acknowledge  me  chief!"  said  red.  "lam  ever 
the  emblem  of  charity.  All  that  is  warm,  and  redo- 
lent of  comfort  and  kindness,  is  arrayed  in  my  tints. 
I  rest  on  this  rose,  and  claim  precedence."  • 

"Acknowledge  me  chief!"  said  blue.  "I  am  the 
emblem  of  truth.  All  that  is  high  and  pure  and  just 
wears  my  hue.  I  rise  and  shine  from  yonder  sky, 
and  claim  precedence." 

"Acknowledge  me  chief!"  said  yellow.  "I  am 
the  emblem  of  light  and  glory.  Kings  are  crowned, 
palaces  glitter,  with  my  lustrous  color.  Receive  me, 
0  sun !  to  thee  I  call,  and  claim  precedence." 

"  Ah !  my  children,"  said  the  sun,  "  the  very 
heavens  weep  at  your  disunion.  Be  reconciled,  I 
pray,  and  show  your  strength  of  beauty  where  it 
must  ever  lie,  —  in  harmony."  And  they  rose  at  the 
entreaty,  and  embraced  in  the  tearful  clouds ;  and  the 


SOMETHING    FOR    BOTH    SIDES.  133 

sun  shone  out  on  them,  and   glorious  in  loveliness 
was  the  rainbow  they  made.  //  « 


SOMETHING  FOR  BOTH  SIDES. 

"  How  we  are  admired ! "  said  the  waters  of  a  rush- 
ing cascade  to  the  rocks  over  which  they  fell,  as 
many  standers-by  exclaimed  at  their  beauty. 

"  Whom  do  you  mean  by  we  ?  "  asked  the  rocks. 

"  Whom  ?  why,  we  waters,  of  course,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Are  you  so  foolish  and  vain  ? "  asked  the  rocks 
frowning.  "  Can  you  not  see  that  they  who  behold 
tremble  before  us  ?  You  are  merely  worthy  of  re- 
mark because  you  are  a  feature  in  the  scene." 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha ! "  shouted  the  waters,  and  rushed 
on,  echoing  the  laugh  from  point  to  point.  "Do  you 
really  think  your  rugged  faces  would  charm  any  one 
unless  adorned  with  our  brilliancy  ?  " 

a  Depart ! "  said  the  rocks, .  with  terrible  frown, 
"  and  leave  us  to  stand  alone ;  then  we  shall  know 
to  whom  beauty  and  glory  belong." 


134  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Let  us  leave  them,  and  flow  over  yonder  mead," 
said  the  waters.  They  did  so ;  and  the  rocks  were  si- 
lent, and  so  was  the  flood  of  the  fields.  None  came 
to  gaze  or  to  listen. 

"Ah!"  murmured  the  waters,  "we  should  not 
have  refused  the  rocks  their  share  of  honor.  Truly 
they  made  us  a  thing  of  beauty." 

"  Brothers,"  said  the  rocks  in  hoarse  echoes,  "  why 
did  we  drive  away  the  waters  ?  If  we  lent  them  our 
strength  of  form,  they  clothed  us  with  their  grace  and 
splendor.  .  Now,  alas !  they  flow  on  in  obscurity,  and 
we  are  passed  by  unheeded  and  unpraised." 


"MUCH  ADO  ABOUT  NOTHING." 

A  DONKEY  stood  in  a  meditative  attitude,  with  his 
white  nose  over  the  palings,  switching  away  the  flies 
with  his  tail. 

"What  are  you  thinking  about,  Ned?"  said  the 
gray  mare,  who  was  grazing  in  the  next  meadow. 

"I  know,"  cried  the  colt:  "he's  thinking  of  the 


"MUCH    ADO    ABOUT    NOTHING."  135 

beating  he  got  when  he  upset  the  apple-cart;  I  know 
it  by  his  expression." 

"  No,  he  isn't,"  said  his  friend,  the  foal :  "  he's  wish- 
ing, he  was  in  here  with  us ;  can't  you  see  his  eyes  ?  " 

These  remarks  drew  several  horses  which  were 
"on  tack"  in  the  field  to  the  spot;  and  each  gave  his 
own  opinion  as  to  the  subject  of  Neddy's  lucubra- 
tions. At  last,  a  cow,  who  was  disturbed  in  her  din- 
ner by  so  much  company  coming  to  her  chosen 
place,  suggested,  that  as  the  public  mind  varied  so 
considerably,  and  there  was  such  difficulty  in  coming 
to  a  decision,  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  ask  Ned 
himself,  who  could  soon  end  their  perplexities.  Im- 
mediately he  was  plied  with  questions,  to  which, 
after  a  few  winks  and  a  grave  shake  of  his  head,  he 
replied,  "  Gentlemen,  I  beg  to  say  I  was  thinking  of 
nothing." 


136  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


"  WHAT'S  LAW  FOR  THEE  IS  LAW  FOR  ME." 

tt  I  hate  flies ! "  said  a  crop-eared  mastiff  as  he  lay 
basking  in  the  sun  one  summer's  evening. 

His  companion,  the  house-dog,  who  had  been  doz- 
ing by  his  side,  merely  licked  one  off  that  had  tickled 
his  nose,  and  made  no  reply. 

"I  can't  see  what  use  they  are  of,"  said  the  mastiff. 

"  Can't  you  ? "  said  the  house-dog,  seeing  he  must 
answer  before  he  could  go  to  sleep  again. 

"No:  can  you?"  said  the  mastiff,  snapping  angrily 
at  two  or  three  that  buzzed  in  his  face. 

"Swallows  like  them,"  said  the  house-dog,  yawn- 
ing, and  flapping  some  off  with  his  ears. 

"Swallows,  indeed!  and  what's  the  use  of  swal- 
lows? Is  all  the  world  to  be  tormented  with  flies 
because  swallows  like  them?  They  do  nothing  but 
play,  and  put  the  housemaid  in  a  passion  about  the 
windows." 

"Why  don't  you  knock  them  off,  as  I  do?"  said 
the  house-dog,  flapping  his  ears  again. 

"  I  might  if  they'd  left  me  my  ears,"  said  the  mastiff. 


"WHAT'S  LAW  FOE,  THEE  is  LAW  FOR  ME."    137 

"  Who  cut  them  off? "  asked  the  house-dog. 

"  Who  ?  why,  my  master,  when  I  was  a  pup.     I 
wish   he'd   left  them   alone.     I  dare  say  he'd  have 
made  a  fine  to-do  if  anybody  had  cut  off  his." 
,  "No  doubt,"  said  the  house-dog,  "he  would  have 
told  them  they  were  too  useful  to  part  with." 

"  And  do  you  suppose  mine  were  not  meant  to  be 
as  useful  to  me  ?  "  said  the  mastiff  angrily. 

"Doubtless  that's  your  view;  but,  you  see,  it  wasn't 
his.  There's  no  accounting  for  the  different  opinions 
of  people :  if  you,  for  instance,  were  to  inquire  of 
swallows  and  flies,  you  might  hear  that  they  were  as 
necessary  in  the  places  they  occupy  as  you  would 
find  your  ears  at  this  present  moment." 


138 


ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


THE  BROOK. 

"  BROOK,  bright  and  gladsome  brook !  I  pray  thee 
stay  awhile :  I  love  to  see  my  moss-grown  face  in  thy 
clear  waters." 

It  was  an  ancient  bridge,  with  many-colored  lich- 
ens on  its  crumbling  stone,  that  cried  thus  to  the 
brook. 

"  Nay,"  said  the  brook,  "  I  can  not  tarry :  my  river 
is  far  off,  and  I  must  not  rest  till  I  find  it." 

"  Brook,  dear,  beautiful  brook,  stay  and  sing  to  us 


THE     BROOK.  139 


while  we  dance,"  said  a  group  of  daffodils,  that  were 
trembling  with  delight  in  the  summer  breeze. 

"  Dance  ye,  and  play,"  said  the  brook ;  "  but  I  tarry 
not.  As  I  sing  I  flow  onwards,  for  my  river  is  far  off; 
and  I  may  not  stay  till  I  gain  it." 

"  Brook,  what  song  do  you  sing  ?  How  is  it  that 
you  fear  not  to  break  our  sacred  silence  ?  Remem- 
ber the  tale  of  quietness  we  tell,  and  cease  your  gay 
prattling." 

Thus  spake  some  old  gray  tombstones,  that  rose 
above  the  churchyard  wall,  and  frowned  darkly  on 
the  silver  brook  as  it  glittered  in  the  moonlight. 

"  Nay,  I  can  not  be  silent.  My  song  is  given  me, 
and  my  voice  is  made  to  sing  it ;  and  I  must  not  leave 
it  off  till  I  have  gained  my  river."  Thus  answered 
the  brook. 

"Pretty  brook,  thou  art  not  wide  enough,"  said 
the  moon.  "  Spread  thyself  over  thy  narrow  banks, 
that  I  may  rejoice  more  in  thee,  and  thou  mayest  re- 
flect more  of  my  mild  splendor." 

"  Pleasant  moon,"  answered  the  brook,  "  I  can  not 
be  more  than  I  am,  neither  can  I  have  more  of  thy 


140  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

brightness  yet;  but  my  banks  will  be  wide  indeed, 
and  my  glory  great  indeed,  when  I  have  reached  my 
river." 

"Presumptuous  brook!"  said  the  sun,  "dry  up. 
What !  wilt  thou  dare  to  steal  my  splendor  to  dress 
thy  poor  thread-like  course  ?  Dry  up  and  perish !  " 

"Nay,  by  your  leave,  mighty  sun,  I  will  flow  on 
under  rushes,  and  hide  from  your  scorn,  and  so  reach 
my  river." 

And  the  brook  did  reach  its  river;  for  it  was  like 
the  strong  heart  that  neither  trial  nor  temptation 
can  hold  in  its  hands. 


AN  AWKWARD  QUESTION. 

"A  FINE  day,  sir,"  said  Drover  to  a  dog  that  had 
come  over  with  an  Irish  reaper. 

"Where  will  you  find  it?"  said  the  stranger.  "It's 
little  enough  of  fine  days  that  I've  seen  since  I've 
been  in  this  country." 

"Mr.  Drover  has  never  been  traveling,  you  see," 


AN    AWKWARD     QUESTION.  141 

said  a  Scotch  terrier;  "and  isn't  knowing  in  any 
weather  but  English." 

"  I  pity  him,"  said  the  stranger,  "  if  he's  never  seen 
the  beautiful  clear  sky  of  old  Ireland,  where  the  sun 
shines  all  the  day  long  all  the  year  round." 

"  Well,  for  clear  skies,"  says  the  terrier,  "  give  me 
bonnie  Scotland,  where  the  mists  make  such  beauti- 
ful contrasts  that  a  heap  of  brightness  comes  doubly 
delightful." 

Drover  trotted  on  in  the  middle. 

"I'm  sorry  our  sky  doesn't  please  you,  gentlemen," 
he  said ;  "  but,  at  any  rate,  you  won't  find  fault  with 
the  earth.  How  pleasant  and  fruitful  all  around  us  is ! " 

"  Pleasant ! "  said  the  Irish  dog.  "  Oh !  but  it's  the 
green  island  that's  pleasant;  and  for  fruitfulness, 
where  is  yours  compared  with  hers  ?  Why,  I  haven't 
seen  green  grass  since  I  left  her,  though  I've  looked 
for  it  all  the  way." 

"  And  think  of  the  oatmeal  that  comes  from  us ! " 
said  the  terrier;  "and  isn't  whisky  made  from  the 
very  sod  beneath  your  feet  ?  And  then  the  pleasant 
heather :  oh,  how  I  long  for  it !  " 


142  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 

"Well,"  said  Drover,  still  trotting  on  between 
them,  "what  do  you  say  to  yon  pretty  brook  so 
bright  and  so  clear,  and  winding  in  and  out  among 
the  fields,  so  that  one  never  wants  water  long  on  the 
hottest  day:  I  suppose  you've  nothing  better  than 
that?" 

"Is  it  water  you  speak  of?"  said  the  Irish  dog. 
"Well,  then,  you've  never  heard  of  the  lakes  and 
streams  and  the  rivers  that  cover  my  country,  and 
make  it  the  delight  of  the  whole  earth  ?  " 

"No;  nor  of  our  lakes  and  our  streams  and  our 
rivers,"  said  the  terrier.  "  The  very  thought  of  them 
fills  my  heart  with  admiration." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Drover,  turning  round,  "  allow 
me  to  ask,  if  we  have  no  sky,  no  earth,  and  no  water 
worth  looking  at,  and  you  have  such  excellent  ones 
at  home,  what  made  you  leave  them  ?  and  what 
brought  you  here?" 


THE    WORTH    OF    OPINION.  143 


THE  WORTH  OF   OPINION. 

"  IS'NT  this  charming  ?  "  said  the  ducks,  one  to  an- 
other, as  they  sailed  about  in  the  high  flood  that  laid 
the  fields  under  water.  "  What  a  pity  it  isn't  always 
so  ! "  cried  one.  "  I  don't  see  why  it  shouldn't  be ! " 
said  another  :  "  I'm  sure  it's  much  prettier  to  look  at, 
and  a  great  deal  more  convenient." 

"  Very  fine  for  you !"  said  a  disconsolate  cock  that 
was  strutting  up  and  down  a  boundary-wall  near; 
"very  fine  for  you  who  think  only  of  yourselves, 
while  we  are  all  penned  up  in  the  yard,  and  dare  not 
venture  a  foot  out  for  fear  of  being  drowned;  but  it's 
always  the  way  with  selfish  people." 

"  The  beauty  of  a  flood,  my  dear,"  said  a  blackbird 
to  his  mate,  "  is,  that  the  ground  will  be  so  tender, 
and  provision  so  abundant,  we  may  count  on  a  de- 
lightful pic-nic  as  soon  as  the  water  is  gone  down." 

"Alas!"  trilled  the  skylark  as  it  hovered  over  the 
watery  waste;  "my  home!  my  dear,  my  beautiful 
home !  While  I  was  caroling  my  joyous  melody 


144  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

beyond  the  clouds,  the  cruel  waters  flowed  out,  and 
I  looked  down  in  vain  for  my  home!" 

"Neighbor,"  said  an  old  rook  that  was  swinging 
backward  and  forward  on  the  elm-tree  top,  "how 
can  you  account  for  all  these  different  opinions  ?  and 
what  decision  should  you  come  to  as  to  whether  the 
flood  is  good  or  bad  ?  " 

"  The  flood  is  good  for  ducks  and  blackbirds,  and 
bad  for  poultry  and  skylarks,"  replied  his  sage  neigh- 
bor. "  As  to  the  difference  of  opinion,  that  is  easily 
accounted  for :  people  approve  or  disapprove  of 
things  not  according  to  their  merits,  but  as  they  affect 
their  own  interests!" 


"HOME,   SWEET  HOME!" 

"  How  fair  I  am,"  said  a  golden  wallflower,  whose 
broad,  bright  blossom  rejoiced,  in  all  the  royalty  of 
freedom,  on  the  gray  wall  of  an  ancient  ruin.  And 
the  wind  sighed  through  the  ivy-covered  galleries, 
and  said,  "  You  are  very  fair ! " 


"HOME,  SWEET  HOME."  145 

"  Why  am  I  here  ?  "  said  the  wallflower,  "  the  only 
beautiful  thing;  why  am  I  not  in  company  with 
those  whose  fragrance  and  whose  charms  mine  equal 
or  excel  ?  " 

"Alas!"  sighed  the  wind,  and  the  listening  ivy- 
leaves  trembled  around, "  would  you  leave  your  na- 
tive home,  and  the  friends  of  your  youth  ?  Here  the 
wild  bees  seek  you,  here  the  birds  sing  around  you, 
here  you  shine  as  a  star  in  our  somber  solitude." 

But  the  traveler  had  gathered  a  blossom,  and  car- 
ried it  away  as  a  choice  relic ;  and  the  wallflower 
was  no  longer  satisfied  with  the  homage  of  the  bee, 
the  admiration  of  the  birds,  or  the  friendship  of  the 
wind. 

"Bear  me!"  she  said,  "bear  me  to  another  soil 
worthy  of  my  grace,  and  let  me  no  longer  pine 
unseen  in  this  mournful  place ! " 

And  the  traveler  came  again,  and  tore  the  wall- 
flower from  the  wall,  and  carried  it  away,  and  planted 
it  in  his  own  rich  garden  among  flowers  of  rare  cost 
and  culture ;  and  now  she  learned  the  truth. 

"Who  is  this?"  said  one.     "What  is  this?"  said 


146  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

another.  "  Have  the  weeds  of  the  field  presumed  to 
enter  our  ranks  ?  " 

In  vain  the  poor  wallflower  opened  wide  her 
blossoms,  their  gold  was  dimmed  by  the  hues  of  her 
proud  companions ;  and  her  perfume  was  lost  in  the 
powerful  scents  exhaled  by  those  around  her. 

"  Ah !  my  ruin,  my  home,  my  old  gray  wall ! " 
she  exclaimed.  "Ah,  gentle  breeze!  ah,  joyful  birds! 
and  ah,  the  voice  of  friendship !  —  what  have  I  ex- 
changed you  for?"  And  so  she  mourned  until  she 
withered,  and  was  cast  away. 

But  another  grew  up  in  her  place  on  the  old  gray 
wall;  and,  in  the  summer  evenings,  the  wind  would 
whisper  the  sad  story  of  her  predecessor's  fate,  and 
entreat  her  to  be  content  to  reign  as  a  queen  in  the 
ruin. 


NOT  THE  FAULT  OF  THE  TRUMPET.    147 

BAD  TILLAGE. 

THE  husbandman  complained  that  the  fields  were 
bare,  the  crops  evil  and  scanty. 

"  Why  is  it  thus  ?  "  he  asked.  "  The  fields  are  as 
they  ever  were, — no  worse,  neither  more  sterile,  cor-, 
rupt,  nor  stony  than  of  old  time.  The  seed  is  as 
good  as  the  seed  of  other  days :  the  same  earth,  the 
same  seed.  Why  not  the  same  harvest?" 

Then  the  laborers  were  silent,  and  the  husband- 
man was  grieved  and  angry ;  and  he  said,  "  It  is  the 
tillage  that  is  faulty.  Look  to  it !  of  you  I  require 
it." 


NOT  THE  FAULT  OF  THE  TRUMPET. 

"You  are  a  poor,  uncertain  thing  after  all,"  said 
the  drum  to  the  trumpet.  "  Sometimes  you  make  a 
fine  sound,  so  that  you  can  set  an  army  in  action, 
and  inspire  them  to  victory ;  at  others  you  give  forth 
such  faint  and  trembling  notes,  that,  if  the  hearers 
don't  go  to  sleep,  it's  a  wonder.  Oh,  you  are  a  poor, 
uncertain  thing ! " 


148  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"  Blame  me  not,"  said  the  trumpet.  "  /  am  ever 
the  same.  The  music  I  can  make  is  not  always 
called  forth,  indeed ;  but  the  blame  is  on  the  mouth 
that  pretends  to  sound  me,  without  having  knowl- 
edge, strength,  or  experience  to  do  it." 


A  LIVING  DOG  BETTER  THAN  A  DEAD  LION. 

THERE  was  a  lion's  image  carved  in  stone,  fierce 
and  terrible.  It  frowned  and  looked  sternly  as  it 
crouched  before  the  palace  gate. 

"  Is  he  not  great,  mighty,  and  awful  ?  "  asked  one 
who  stood  by,  of  a  poor  low-bred  dog  that  looked, 
but  unconcernedly,  on  the  image. 

"  He  represents  what  is  great,  indeed,"  answered 
the  dog,  "  and,  if  he  were  alive,  I  should  be  terribly   \ 
afraid  of  him ;    but  as  he  is  not  alive,  and  I  am,   | 
though  I  am  but  a  poor  contemptible  dog,  I  consider 
that  I  am  more  to  be  envied  and  respected  of  the 
two ;  for  what  is  v  a  fine  outside  show,  pray,  if  it's 
ever  so  fine,  without  any  life  within  ? " 


BEWARE  OF  THE  FOWLER.          149 


BEWAEE  OF  THE  FOWLER. 

" WHITHER  so  fast?"  said  a  dove  to  a. bird  flying 
swiftly  onward.  "  Turn,  I  pray  you,  and  rest  on  this 
bough :  your  eyes  are  dull,  your  plumage  is  ruffled, 
and  your  wings,  I  see,  are  weary." 

"  I  dare  not,  I  dare  not ! "  answered  the  fluttering 
bird :  "  I  go  to  my  mate  and  my  young  ones,  to  my 
friends  and  my  neighbors,  to  warn  them  and  save 
them  from  what  I  have  escaped." 

"  What  will  you  warn  them  against  ?  What  have 
you  escaped  ?  "  asked  the  dove. 

"  I  will  warn  them  from  the  net  of  the  fowler ;  for 
that  have  I  but  now  escaped,"  said  the  trembling 
bird. 

"  Oh,  terrible !  And  what  was  it  like  ? "  asked  the 
dove. 

"  It  was  spread  among  flowers,  and  fair  grain  lay 
on  it ;  and  I  thought  it  was  a  pleasant  place,  and  that 
I  might  revel  in  abundance:  and  I  flew  toward  it, 
and  should  have  entered,  had  not  a  kite  hovering 
above  alarmed  me.  I  was  angry  with  the  kite,  and 


150  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

bitterly  I  reproached  him  in  my  heart ;  but,  before  I 
had  turned  my  wing,  I  saw  the  net  drawn  up  and  all 
within  it  made  captive." 

"  But  now  you  are  safe,  the  danger  is  far  away : 
why  not  rest  by  my  side?" 

"  /  am  safe,  but  my  mate  and  my  young  ones,  my 
friends  and  my  neighbors,  they  must  be  warned :  I 
hasten  to  tell  them." 

'  "  I  see  not  why  so  much  speed  is  needful.  I  see 
not  why  you  should  tremble  now  that  the  danger  is 
past ;  why  your  heart  should  still  beat  fast,  and  your 
foot  can  not  rest  until  you  have  told  your  story." 

"  Ah,  poor  dove ! "  cried  the  bird :  "  it  is  plain  you 
have  never  felt  what  I  feel.  You  may  indeed  have 
been  near  the  net ;  but  you  did  not  know  it,  nor  fear 
it.  Remember  me,  and  beware ! " 

"  Oh !  I  am  not  going  near  danger,  believe  me," 
said  the  dove  innocently. 

"  Alas !  we  know  not  when  that  is  near,  nor  where 
the  net  is  not  spread.  The  toils  are  so  artful,  the 
meshes  so  hidden,  you  would  never  suspect  your 
danger.  Keep,  I  pray  you,  to  the  dovecote  and  the 


BEWARE  OF  THE  FOWLER.         151 

food  there  provided,  and  not  let  your  eye  rove  after 
strange  food,  even  if  it  is  good,  and  lies  among  flow- 
ers ! " 

The  dove  looked  after  the  bird  as  he  hastened 
away ;  and  though  he  had  heard  his  words,  and  seen 
his  earnestness,  he  wondered  at  his  determined  flight. 
But  the  bird,  as  he  sped  onward,  had  the  terrible  net 
in  his  eye  and  on  his  heart,  and  rested  not  until  he 
had  gained  his  home,  and  charged  his  mate  and  his 
young  ones,  his  friends  and  his  neighbors,  to  beware 
of  the  fowler. 


152 


ORIGINAL     FABLES. 


THE  WILLOW-STUMP  AND  THE  FINGER-POST. 

"  How  wise  I  am ! "  cried  the  finger-post  to  a  wil- 
low-stump by  his  side. 

"  Are  you  ?  "  said  the  willow. 

"Am  I?"  indignantly  retorted  the  post.     "Do  you 

II 


THE    WILLOW-STUMP    AND    THE    FINGER-POST.      153 

see  my  arms  ?  Are  not  the  name  of  the  great  town, 
the  road  to  it,  and  the  distance  from  it,  plainly  writ- 
ten there  ?  " 

"  Ah,  yes !  "  said  the  willow. 

"  Then  you  must  acknowledge  how  superior  I  am 
to  you.  Why !  I  am  a  public  teacher." 

"  True,  indeed,"  answered  the  willow,  "  and  learned 
you  are  ;  but,  as  to  wisdom,  I  see  little  difference  be- 
tween you  and  me.  You  know  the  way  to  the  city, 
I  believe,  and  are  the  means  of  enabling  many  to 
find  it ;  but  here  you  have  stood  these  twenty  years, 
and  I  don't  see  that  you  have  got  a  step  farther  on 
the  road  than  I  have,  who  don't  profess  to  under- 
stand any  thing  about  it." 


154  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

THE  WAY  TO  CONQUER. 

"  I'LL  master  it,"  said  the  axe ;  and  his  blows  fell 
heavily  on  the  iron ;  but  every  blow  made  his  edge 
more  blunt,  till  he  ceased  to  strike. 

"Leave  it  to  me,"  said  the  saw;  and  with  his  re- 
lentless teeth  he  worked  backwards  and  forwards  on 
its  surface  till  they  were  all  worn  down  or  broken : 
then  he  fell  aside. 

"Ha,  ha!"  said  the  hammer,  "I  knew  you  wouldn't 
succeed:  I'll  show  you  the  way;"  but  at  his  first 
fierce  stroke  off  flew  his  head,  and  the  iron  remained 
as  before. 

«  Shall  /  try  ?  "  asked  the  soft,  small  flame.  They 
all  despised  the  flame ;  but  he  curled  gently  round 
the  iron,  and  embraced  it,  and  never  left  it  till  it 
melted  under  his  irresistible  influence. 

There  are  hearts  hard  enough  to  resist  the  force  of 
wrath,  the  malice  of  persecution,  and  the  fury  of 
pride,  so  as  to  make  their  acts  recoil  on  their  adver- 
saries; but  there  is  a  power  stronger  than  any  of 
these,  and  hard  indeed  is  that  heart  that  can  resist  love. 


BUTTERCUPS    AND    DAISIES.  155 

BUTTERCUPS  AND  DAISIES. 

"  How  stupid  you  look,  always  staring  straight  up 
into  the  sky !  what  can  you  see  there  ?  "  asked  the 
buttercups  of  the  daisies. 

"  See  ?  oh !  we  see  the  sun  in  his  strength,  and  the 
glories  of  day,  and  the  soft  summer  clouds,  and  the 
grand  thunder-storms,  and  wonders  and  beauties  be- 
yond description,"  answered  the  daisies. 

"  But  you  are  stiff-necked  by  it,  and  all  the  fields 
laugh  at  you,"  said  the  buttercups. 

"  We  don't  mind  about  it,"  said  the  daisies. 

"What  poor,  mean-looking  things  the  cardamines 
are !  Don't  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  the  buttercups. 

"  Are  they  ?  "  asked  the  daisies  in  reply. 

"  Shocking !  but  it  would  be  better  to  be  like  them 
than  those  clumsy  clover-blossoms,  don't  you  think 
so  ?  "  asked  the  buttercups. 

"  Can't  say,  indeed,"  replied  the  daisies. 

"As  to  those  flaunting  campions,  well!  they  are 
bold,  standing  so  tall  and  holding  their  heads  so 
high ;  wouldn't  you  be  ashamed  to  be  like  them  ?  " 


156  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 

"Friends,"  said  the  daisies,  "be  advised:  it  may 
seein  stupid  to  be  always  staring  at  the  sky ;  but  it  is 
very  plain,  that  if  you  would  follow  our  example,  and 
do  it,  you  would  escape  seeing  much  that  disquiets 
you  now,  —  an  escape  bought  cheaply,  even  at  the 
cost  of  a  stiff  neck  and  a  little  contempt." 


HOW  CAN  THE  BLIND   SEE? 

A  COMPANY  of  blind  men  sat  talking  together,  seem- 
ing well  satisfied  with  their  discourse. 

"  The  world  is  square,"  said  one. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  another. 

" And  grass,  —  let  me  consider,  —  grass  is  red" 
said  a  third. 

"  Certainly,"  cried  a  fourth. 

"  And  there  is  darkness  always,"  said  a  fifth. 

"  There  can  be  no  question  about  that,"  chimed  in 
a  sixth. 

And  so  they  went  on,  making  wonderful  mistakes, 
and  agreeing  with  one  another  most  cordially. 


HOW  CAN  THE  BLIND  SEE?         157 

But  suddenly  one  of  them  gained  his  sight,  and  he 
saw  that  the  world  was  round,  the  grass  was  green, 
and  that  it  was  light  wherever  the  sun  shone.  So 
he  ran  to  tell  his  friends. 

"  Oh,  sirs,  we  were  in  a  strange  mistake  when  we 
settled  all  those  things,  I  assure  you  !  It  arose  from 
our  being  blind.  /  can  see  now,  and  wish  you  to 
profit  by  my  experience." 

"  Do  but  hear  him ! "  said  one. 

"  Ha,  ha,  ha ! "  laughed  another. 

"  Conceited  knave  ! "  cried  a  third. 

"  Impudent  impostor ! "  said  a  fourth. 

"  Poor  deluded  fellow  !  "  said  a  fifth. 

"  All  cant ! "  said  a  sixth. 

"  Would  you  believe  it  ?  "  said  the  astonished  man 
to  one  who,  like  himself,  could  see. 

"Believe  it!"  was  the  answer;  "certainly:  I  ex- 
pected no  other.  If  you  want  them  to  believe  you, 
you  must  see  about  getting  them  eyes  for  them- 
selves :  they  can't  see  out  of  yours.  You  forget 
what  you  were  when  you  were  blind." 


158  ORIGINAL    FABLES. 


WHERE  TO  BEG  AND   PROSPER. 

Two  beggars  met  one  day,  and  thus  they  talked  as 
they  rested  on  the  road-side :  — 

"Ours  is  but  a  poor  trade:  I  am  getting  very  tired 
of  it,"  said  one. 

"  Are  you  ?  Well,  it  is  not  so  with  me.  I  find  it 
a  prosperous  business,  and  like  it  better  every  day," 
said  the  other. 

"  Strange  enough  that ! "  was  the  answer.  "  There 
are  so  many  things  against  us !  First  of  all,  one  dares 
not  to  go  to  the  same  person  too  often." 

"That's  not  my  experience,"  said  the  other.  "I 
find  that  the  oftener  I  go,  the  more  readily  I  am 
heard." 

"You  don't  say  so!"  exclaimed  his  companion.  "I 
get  turned  away  with  '  saucy  fellow ! '  or  some  such 
name,  and  am  told  to  take  my  tale  elsewhere.  As 
to  money  or  bread,  I  may  knock  pretty  often  before 
I  get  a  sight  of  it." 

" Now,  I  can  truly  say,"  said  his  companion,  "that 


WHERE    TO     BEG     AND     PROSPER.  159 

if  I  don't  get  what  I  ask  for,  I  have  something  better 
instead  of  it." 

"  A  lucky  fellow  you  are ;  and  in  these  times,  too, 
when  people  shake  their  heads,  and  declare  they 
have  need  to  go  begging  themselves ! " 

"Ah!  that  /  am  never  told.  I  go  where  riches 
abound,  and  where  there  is  enough,  and  more  than 
enough,  for  all  that  ask." 

"If  I  put  on  a  doleful  face,  they  call  me  hypocrite; 
if  I  put  on  a  merry  air,  they  say  I  am  not  in  want : 
there  is  no  knowing  how  to  succeed  with  them." 

"When  I  am  in  trouble,  I  get  pity:  when  I  am 
full  of  praise  and  joy,  I  get  a  more  abundant  bless- 
ing." 

"  Wonderful !  wonderful !  They  grow  tired  of  my 
story,  I  find,  before  they  have  half  heard  it,  and  sus- 
pect it  is  false  without  caring  much  for  me  even  if  it 
were  true." 

"  How  contrary  my  case !  I  can  not  tell  my  sor- 
rows and  wants  too  often:  I  am  told  to  come  with 
every  one  of  them ;  and,  strange  to  say,  so  deep  is 
the  interest  in  my  behalf,  that  what  1  have  to  tell  is 


160  ORIGINAL     FABLES. 


better  known  at  the  house  where  I  beg  than  I  know 
it  myself." 

"  Why,  what  house  do  you  beg  at  ?  "  asked  the  as- 
tonished beggar. 

"At  the  gate  of  heaven,"  said  hi.  jmpanion. 
"  Where  do  you  beg  ?  " 

"  Oh !  /  beg  of  the  world,"  said  he. 

"Then  no  wonder  you  are  tired  of  your  trade. 
Come  and  try  niy  gate.  If  you  make  your  stand  at 
that  you  will  never  be  disappointed,  never  get  an 
angry  or  unkind  word,  and  never,  never  be  turned 
empty  away." 


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